The Further Adventures of Shad and Ashei
by Aeolian Mode
Summary: As more of the mystery concerning the Oocas is resolved, Shad, Ashei, and Rusl embark on a perilous quest. Shad must emerge as a leader, or the world will be lost to an nigh unstoppable force of evil. Mild violence, nothing else. On Hiatus
1. Awaiting the Sky

THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SHAD AND ASHEI

Author's Notes:

Finally added a chapter (some day in March 2008, can't remember when lol!). I'm reigniting my passion in this story by playing through Zelda again. Yes, some of this story is draftish, and a bit cheesy. I'll try and polish it up when its finished, but in the meanwhile, in my usual manner, I'll post things the moment I write them and hope that I get good reviews.**  
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Spoiler warnings **though. Since its about Shad and Ashei who you meet later on, it'll spoil some main plot elements in the game. The other characters are in it too though, including Link, Auru, Rusl, and Ooccoo, along with some apperances from Telma, Midna, and Epona. But the story is mainly focused around my two favorite members of the Resistance, Shad and Ashei. There's a deep spoiler in Chapter One, so read ahead with caution.

WARNINGS: Violence. Nothing else. You can trust me to keep all my stories rated for only violence, I never even suggest that a character is, um, romantically involved other than a kiss. I also don't make the characters swear or get drunk or anything, but they may drink some mugs mead or two just as long as they don't get drunk on it.

Its kind of inspired by Back of the Bar by tikitikirevenge.

CHAPTER ONE

Shad stared off into the overcast sky as he sat on a hill in the grassy plains of Hyrule Feild, his fingers interlocked and placed under his chin, his elbows buried on his knees.

It had been four days since he heard Link defeated Ganondorf, and said his last goodbye to Midna, who vanished into the Twilight Portal after breaking the Mirror, never to be seen again. Shad never knew about Midna until he heard about her just a few days ago. It made him sad for Link, to give up such a close friend like that. Link had later returned to Ordon after leaving Zelda in the palace.

Once Zelda had approached the Resistance, the group Shad was a part of, and gave them medals of honor for their bravery in assisting Link, but Shad had refused his medal. He didn't do anything to help Link, all he did was run into the palace after the others, who took care of things before he could even muster the courage to help. Though Zelda had insisted, Shad had refused and left. Though he didn't feel good about it, he knew he wouldn't feel good if he took the medal, either.

He sighed through closed lips, studying the clouds, watching as the small splotches of blue sky became devoured by the monsters as they teemed in and crowded over the light, blotting it out and causing Hyrule to turn into a dim, depressing landscape. Even the monsters down below who ignored Shad seemed effected by the sudden change of weather.

Shad stood up, then decided it was time to leave. It was going to rain soon.

He was only a few yards away from the grey-stoned city gates of the Castle Town. He dared not travel away from Hyrule Castle, for he knew the monsters would eat him alive if he strayed too far from the protection of the walls.

As he walked, he felt rain begin to land lightly on his shoulders (which were protected by the dark blue cotton jacket he had chosen to wear that morning), and moisten his short orange hair. He looked up, a few drops pelting his glasses, blurring his vision. He took them off, wiped them clean with the base of his shirt, then entered through the inner gates of the city.

The streets were almost empty, everyone was leaving to find cover from the approaching storm. Shad examined the fountain in the center of the stone-paved roads, watching as the rain caused dimples in the water.

"HEY!" Someone screamed from behind Shad, causing him to yelp. He spun around hurriedly, only to come face-to-face with Ashei, one of his comrads. She had black hair, and a bit of makeup around her eyes. She wore silver and black armor, which she never left home without. Danger could come any second, and she, being a brave and powerful young woman, was always itching to get her sword wet. Born and raised in the treacherous mountains, she was always ready for adventure and prepared, much unlike Shad, who loved to stay at home and read.

But, deep down, Shad longed for adventures but only specific to exploring a mysterious place known as the Sky City.

"I scared you, yeah?" Ashei asked with small grin.

Shad nodded, his face slightly pale from the shock.

"What are you doing out here? Rusl, Auru and I have been waiting for you back at the bar, we have some matters to discuss."

"I was just... watching the sky..." Shad replied, looking down with a grimace.

"If you dream about the Sky Beings so much," Ashei replied, her voice softening, "then maybe you should search for it again. I'm sure Link would know some about it, but he hasn't told me anything about it."

"He hasn't told me anything, either." Shad replied quietly as the rain fell harder, causing the ground to resound with its music. "Let's get out of this rain, shall we? I'm getting soaked."

"Sure, come on." Ashei motioned for him, and the two ran down a few streets and into an alleyway.

Down a few flights of stairs, hidden in the corner behind two buildings, was the door to Telma's Bar, a lively tavern that was normally the center of attention among soldiers and swordsmen. It was also the location of a secret group known as the Resistance, a gang of people dedicated to bringing the Light back to Hyrule. Shad knew that even if Link had now defeated Ganondorf, the Resistance was still needed as protection in Hyrule for any other monsters who dared to venture into it. But, now that the Twilight monsters have been dispatched, they were needed less, and their time was spent elsewhere.

Ashei opened the door, held it for Shad who was lagging behind, and closed it behind them. They were immediatly greeted by Telma, a dark-skinned woman with a loving heart for others. "You two are soaked!" She exclaimed. "Do you need a change of clothes?"

"Nah." Ashei said, flipping her hand as she spoke.

Shad shook his head. "I'll dry off."

Telma smiled and proceeded to polish a mug as her persian cat, Louise, walked over to Shad and meowed softly. Shad ignored it, knowing that it only wanted him to buy it some meat, for he made the mistake of doing so when he first became part of the Resistance.

He only joined the group to provide them his knowledge, but he was no warrior. He resented battle, being pacifistic in nature, and he was also ill-equipped and undertrained as a swordsman, or any other type of warrior.

Shad found his place in a seat at a small, round table. Rusl was seated across from him, Auru to his left, and Ashei took her place near Shad's left as well.

"Took you long enough," Auru muttered, casting a glance at Shad, though his eyes were glimmering with gladness. "I'm guessing you've been studying the sky again."

Auru was the oldest of the group, elderly, with grey hair and a small beard and mustache. He was also going bald, and had deep wrinkles. Though Auru was nowadays getting too old to be such the warrior he once was, he was always able to offer the group his advice, which one could only gain through experience in a long life, something Shad didn't have. Shad was only in his late teens, nineteen to be exact. It was a coensidence that Ashei had just turned twenty herself.

"This is what's going on," Rusl began to explain. He normally wore a leather and chainmail helmet, but he had it off at the moment, finding it not needed now. He had blonde hair, a white headband around his brow, and a mustache. Rusl was usually in a good mood, and he always had a smile on his face, finding the good things out of life. But, when his family was in danger, he would change to a very protective father and husband, and he would without doubt sacrifice himself for his family and friends. Shad admired this about Rusl.

"I'm going back to Ordon with my family for a while, so I'm temporarily leaving the Resistance, but I'll return when I am needed. My children are being brought back to Ordon from Kakariko, so I'm making a stop at Kakariko Village to offer my thanks to Renado."

"And I," Auru began slowly, "am retiring. You can come and visit me at Lake Hylia anytime you want... but I'm afraid I cannot be in the Resistance anymore."

Shad frowned. He knew it would come soon, but he wasn't prepared for the information at the moment. He would miss working with Auru and Rusl dearly, but this would give him another excuse to leave temporarily as well. He wanted so badly to continue his father's research about the Sky Beings, and he had come so close when he was taking a break from the Resistance to examine the statue Renado had in his basement a few weeks ago, only to be ushered away by Link for some unknown cause. He had learned more about it afterwards, though, and was thankful Link helped him even see the Cannon that the statue was guarding.

"What about you, Ashei?" Rusl asked. "We haven't heard where you were headed."

"I haven't decided." Ashei replied, leaning against the wall. "I was thinking about returning to the mountains for a while, but what is there to do there? I've already explored ever cave, every nook, every detour that exists there. There's so much more to see away from it, I just haven't thought of where I'm going."

"Shad?" Auru turned to Shad, who was deep in thought.

"I guess I'm going to study more about the Sky Beings..." Shad said quietly. "I really feel it is my duty to discover more about them... and my father would be proud shoud I actually find it."

"It would be a very dangerous task, you understand?" Auru said. "Link told me about it, but he asked me not to tell you how he got there. He said he wanted you to have the honor of finding it out for yourself, and so that he wouldn't take your credit for discovering it."

Shad gasped. Link... he was so kind! He could've been granted the honor of discovering the Sky Beings, but instead he was letting Shad take all of his glory!? Now Shad felt almost ashamed.

"I can't-" He began, but Auru cut him off.

"Link thought you might say that, but he told me that its more then enough being the Legendary Hero. He wanted you to have part in being legendary as well."

Shad blushed. "That is... I mean, this is incredible..."

"Well, I'm leaving tomorrow." Rusl said, "so I bid you farewell."

Rusl took a mug from the table, sipped from it, then stood up to leave to his hotel, and gather his belongings.

"Honey, you take care now! Come back anytime you feel like it!" Telma called.

"Well, I guess I better pack up too." Auru stood up and limped away, taking his staff which was left at the doorway before exiting.

"You too, Auru!" Telma told him as he left. She smiled warmly, glad for them that they were going to what they loved most. She knew that wouldn't be the last time she'd see them, considering she owned the best tavern in Hyrule.

"I've decided," Ashei spoke after a long silence, "that I am going to accompany you, Shad. We have so much to explore together, yeah? I've wanted to see the Sky Beings myself, after hearing you talk about it."

Shad blushed. "I, uh... sure... I mean, yeah. That sounds nice."

Ashei chuckled. "Well, I'm heading out. It gets boring with less people, yeah? See you around, Shad. If you feel like it, meet me here tomorrow."

Shad watched her leave, then stared at Rusl's empty mug from across the table, finding it the most intresting object to look at as he thought. He had a lot of journey ahead of him, and exploring with Ashei, he concluded, would make things a bit funner, and less dangerous.

But how dangerous could it possibly be? Auru told him it would be dangerous... but would he die trying?

It was misty outside, and the air was filled with the scent of dirt mixed with rainwater and ozone, the ground saturated with the liquid. The storm had lasted for three days, but the worst of it was yesterday.

Shad rubbed his eyes and yawned, glad that the rain had stopped that morning. Last night was horrendous, and Shad could not sleep through the thunder which sang through the night, so he read instead. It was a book he had already read, but he liked re-reading old tales to catch up on them. There wasn't a book in his room in the Castle Town inn that he hadn't read in his lifetime.

Shad found it surprizing that he had beat Ashei to the bar. Telma was just opening it up that morning, and she was just setting up for the day when she saw Shad enter.

"Shad! You're up early," she said. "My, you look awful! What happened?"

"I didn't get any sleep," Shad said quietly, "but I'll be fine."

"Maybe you just need a bit of mead to get your day started," Telma said. "You won't have to pay for this one."

Without waiting for Shad's reply, she filled him a mug from one of the many barrels hidden under the bartable, but only halfway, because knowing Shad, he resented liquor, only drinking it on occasions.

"Thank you." Shad told her as she slid him the mug across the bartable. He made his way to the back, which was dimly lit by the orange glow of a lantern hanging overhead. He placed his mug onto the table, and stared into the frothy, black void for a few minutes. He took a slight sip and grimaced at the taste, but it did send him a jolt to his brain, waking him up a bit. (Telma normally told him that a taste for mead was an aquired one, she assured him he would like it more when he got older.)

Suddenly, the door to the bar burst open, and in stumbled Ashei, who was walking awkwardly, weighted with a large backpack.

"Good news!" She announced. "Rusl and Auru both made it to their destinations safely, and Rusl was just in time to look at his new baby girl, born two days earlier. Auru also gave me something while I was making sure he was alright at his house."

"Its too bad he didn't get to be with her during the birth..." Telma said. "My husband was in a battle when I had my son. He's off now, exploring the world. I haven't seen him in years."

"You have a son?" Shad asked, looking up from the mug.

Both Telma and Ashei laughed. "This whole time you didn't know? Where have you been, Shad, curled up in a book?" Ashei chuckled.

Shad looked back down and blushed noticably, his slanted ears turning red. "I, uh... sorry... I never knew."

"That's alright, hon." Telma said, stifling a chuckle. "A lot of people don't know."

Shad paused, then asked, "Who's your husband? I've never seen him?"

A morbid silence crept into the room, making Shad feel slightly uncomfortable.

"He was killed, Shad." Ashei spoke for Telma. "That's why she's intrested in Renado right now. She wants a new husband."

Telma said nothing, and called for Louise. The white Persian cat hopped onto the counter and purred as she stroked it. Shad looked away, horribly embarrassed, even more than before.

Ashei walked to the table, and sat in the chair across from Shad.

"Since we're going to be leaving soon, I think its time we went over plans for this journey." Ashei reached into her pocket, and took out an old, browned map, which was crumpled a bit.

Shad was rather curious as to what was inside Ashei's large backpack, but he didn't ask her. It might have something to do with their undertaking, and he didn't want to think much about it.

"Its the only spare map I had, but I thought we could use it to mark where we're headed, yeah?" Ashei said, then hesitated, thinking. She perked up suddenly, saying, "oh, and this is what Auru gave me. He said Link left it with him, and he wanted to see if you could figure out what it did."

Ashei took off her backpack and reached inside it. She then pulled out a long wodden rod, with a wing-like end. Strange inscriptions were etched on its surphace, and it fit nicely in Ashei's hand.

She laid it on the table and slid it over to Shad, who took it eagerly and examined it.

Shad gasped as he ran his fingers over the engravings, marveling at its beauty. This was what he needed- the key to the statues!

"As you may know..." he began, his voice filled with intrest, "...I have been studying the Sky Beings and the language they use... apparently, the language is written on this staff... I belive this may be the Dominion Rod!"

Ashei didn't seem so surprized, then she asked, "...what's that?"

"Its a tool used to command the Sky Beings' statues! I may be able to figure out what exactly it does by trying it on the statues found throughout Hyrule!"

Ashei had never seen Shad so excited before. He normally was moping, dreading future events, hiding from the world. She assumed life hasn't treated him fairly in the past, and she always wondered why he was in the Resistance. She never asked him, and he never told anyone. They joined at around the same time, and it took some time getting used to Shad, for Ashei was so much diffrent than him.

"Now, I've memorized the locations of each of these statues, so the first thing we're going to do is move them all with this rod..." Shad hesitated, then added in a morbid tone, "...if it works, that is..."

"Why don't you test it right now?"

Without replying, Shad stood up from his chair, pusing hit back as he stood, and aimed it at the empty wall. His grip tightend on the staff, and he concentrated. Just as his knuckles began to turn white from grasping it, a strange green orb appeared within the wing-like shape at the end of the rod. Shad grinned broadly, then fung the staff forward. The green orb shot out of the rod, bounced off the wall, then returned to the rod. Shad released his grip, and the orb dissappeared, contained within the rod.

"That was amazing!" Ashei exclaimed. Telma, who had been watching, was also speechless. "How did you do that?!"

Shad had no reply for her question. He didn't really know how it worked, it just... did.

"So are you convienced that its the Dominion Rod?" Telma asked from across the room.

"Yes... in fact... Yes I am..." Shad breathed, cautiously putting the staff back down, as if he was afraid to break it. "Without doubt." He finished quietly, watching the Dominion Rod as if it would do something else without Shad's input.

"Alright, so we've got our first locations marked, yeah? What do you plan to do after that?"

"Well, I don't know, but Link's definatly assisted by giving me this rod, thus I now have another lead on this mystery... I shall praise him for all eternity! I won't neglet to send him a letter after this incident." Shad replied.

"So when do you want to depart?"

"As soon as you're ready..." Shad said.

"I thought you might say that, so I thought ahead of time and already packed us a lot of supplies. You're going to need to bring anything else you want, but I've got the necessities covered."

Shad glanced over the table, over Ashei's shoulder, and examined the large backpack, but he couldn't find any indication that she had brought sleeping bags.

"No sleeping bags?" He asked.

"Uh, no, why?"

"We're just going to sleep on the ground?"

"Yeah, do you have a problem with that?" Ashei cocked her head.

"Ashei, you were raised in the mountains! I was raised in a bookstore! I can't sleep on the ground, and have myself be covered with skulltulas when I wake!"

Ashei giggled. "If you want to be an adventurer, you have to learn to live without those things. But if you're as wimpy as you make yourself seem, you can bring your own."

Shad stood up and began walking torwards the door. He said over his shoulder, "I'll be back here as soon as I can, I'm going to pack." He left before she could see his blush of embarrassment. She was right about his being wimpy, but what could he do about it? He wasn't used to being an adventurer, and he wasn't looking forward to Ashei teaching him how. He didn't trust her methods of teaching.

It was afternoon when the two departed after eating a small lunch. Ashei ordered a roated Cucco, but Shad went with a standard salad. He wasn't a big fan of meat, though he wasn't neccissarily vegetarian. Ashei didn't know how he could stand eating a salad over Cucco meat.

On the road, Ashei had her hands full with dispatching the occasional buzzard and orcish warrior they encountered, with Shad running for cover when they were approached, even if Ashei had given him a spare dagger for defence.

They followed a dirt-paved road, headed southwest, where Shad had marked the first statue. They were headed to a small site of ruins near the castle, and Shad suspected it to be heavily guarded as it usually was. He was only able to study the statue there from a distance, under a bush, to avoid drawing attention to himself. But, with Ashei, he knew that she wouldn't take such precautions in approaching an enemy. It was a strait on attack for her.

It was longer from Hyrule Castle than it seemed on the map, and Shad was already getting exhausted, but Ashei showed no sign of it, even with all her armor.

"So we're going at this on foot?" Shad asked.

"There wasn't room for horses in the mountains, so I never got used to them." Ashei explained. "Besides, going on foot shouldn't take that long, yeah?"

"We've been on the road for two hours, and my feet are killing me..." Shad complained quietly. "Can we take a break, please?"

"Sure, if you're a wimp." Ashei told him.

Shad kept his mouth shut and kept walking. Ashei was amused at his efforts to show her how strong he could be, but she could see the exaust on his face.

"We've only been walking for a few hours. You don't get out much, do you?" Ashei said, pausing breifly to look at Shad, who was lagging behind her.

"Not particularily, no..."

"It shows." Ashei huffed and turned back around. "Alright, we'll rest here."

Shad dropped to the ground and took off his shoes to examine any damage. There was a blister on his big toe, but other than that, they were undamaged. He took a canteen from his equipment sack and drank some water from it. Ashei just watched him, she didn't sit down or drink at all.

"Done yet?" She asked him. He nodded, putting his shoes back on, and regained his footing.

They had soon entered the site of the ruins, which was heavily guarded by two axe-weilding Bulblins, an orcish race of evil creatures.

"I'll take these losers. You worry about the statue." Ashei told Shad, then jumped down a flight of destroyed stairs, drawing her sword from its sheath on her belt. As she combatted the creatures, Shad readied his Dominion Rod, aiming it with precision at the statue. However, just as he was about to shoot the energy torwards it, something hit the back of his head hard, and he fell forwards in shock.

Too surprized to regain his footing in time, something slashed him across the chest, sending him shouting with the sudden pain.

"Shad!" Ashei looked up from the battle. She had defeated a Bolblin, and was coming close to sawing the other one to shards when she noticed Shad's danger. He was being attacked by two buzzards, who were picking a fight with him when he wasn't ready.

"The dagger!" She cried. "I can't come, I'm defending myself!"

Shad fumbled on his belt for the dagger, recieved two more slashes from the creatures, then wrenched the dagger out of the sheath with a cry. He managed to cut one of the creatures across the knee, leaving a bleeding gash. The creature screeched, blood dripping off its talon and onto Shad's shirt. He tried his best to ignore it, but it had a putrid smell, causing him to gag. The injured buzzard flew away indistaste.

Shad readied himself, jabbing the dagger at the other buzzard, barely nicking it across the side. He had to attack it three times more before it gave up and left. When the danger was over, Ashei ran to Shad, noticing the blood that stained his shirt.

"Is that yours?"

"The darker bit is from that bird... but the one across my lower chest is mine..."

"Here," Ashei pulled bandages from her sack. "It'll stop your bleeding..."

He allowed her to lift his shirt up to the injury to bandage him, but she hesitated before doing so, staring at his ribcage. He was strangely underfed, and Ashei had never realized how thin he was until now. "Someone aught to feed you a little something other than leaves..." she muttered, wrapping the white bandage around Shad's middle. He grimaced at the tightness, it almost hurt him.

"Why are you so thin?" She asked Shad.

"Oh, I just am... its not unhealthy, really... I am just a thin person, I guess..."

"I find that hard to believe." Ashei turned and walked away to examine the statue while Shad stared at the blood on his shirt with clenched teeth.

He tried his best to wipe the buzzard's blood from his tunic, trying his best not to gag at it. His face flushed from the color as he thought about it.

"You really need to tough it up. You look like you're getting sick or something." Ashei said. "Its just blood, you've got it in you too."

"I know..." Shad moaned, "though it ruined this shirt... I've packed extras..."

"Your shirt's fine, Shad. It shows you defeated a buzzard, and maybe they will fear you more if you wear it around them."

"But it isn't presentable-"

"We're in the wild, Shad!" Ashei interrupted. "No one is going to worry about if you're presentable or not."

Shad grimaced, knowing her point was right. He turned and glanced at the statue, now unguaraded. The statue was atop a tall pillar, standing proudly over all other things in the ruins. It resembled an owl similar to the one he found in Renado's basement earlier.

Renado was a shy but kindhearted man, and he had taken care of the Ordon children while the monsters still teemed in the land. They were back home now, and Renado was probably continuing his work as a shaman. When Shad heard about a statue of the Sky Beings in his basement, he couldn't help but to take a day off to investigate it.

Shad readied his staff, then flung it at the owl with great haste. As it did earlier, a green orb shot from the top, but this time, when it collided with the owl, the orb stayed within it, and green etched lines began to move through the owl, and its eyes glowed green.

"What's it doing, Shad?!" Ashei asked.

"Its quite safe, really... Watch this..." Shad's hands were trembling with excitement as he walked backwards, and the owl followed from its perch. It then fell down from the pillar, landing safely on the ground. Shad released his grip on the staff, then hurried over to the owl.

"It should've revealed an area," Shad explained, "which contains the next peice to the puzzle."

He jumped slightly off the ground and grasped the top of the owl statue, intending to climb up it, but he fell back down and landed hard on the ground with a grunt.

"Here, let me get it. I'm more capable than you are." Ashei said with a chuckle, and Shad didn't want to argue with her.

She bounded onto the statue with inhuman grace and gasped with amazement.

"Shad, you have to see this!" She leaned over the edge of the owl statue, holding out her hand. Shad hesistated, adjusted his glasses, then took her hand and allowed her to pull him up.

They both sat atop the owl statue top, gazing with wide eyes and open mouths at the sight. There was a small depression where the statue used to be standing, and it was filled with flowing green energy. Inside it, a small book was tucked safely away.

Shad approached the area, and since the owl's head was level with the pillar it used to be standing on, he could approach it witout trouble. Shad gingerly picked up the book, and opened it, flipping through the pages.

"There's a lot missing, and- oh, what's this?"

Something fell out of the book and onto the ground below. Shad scrambled off the pillar, landing gently on his feet, then knealt to pick it up: it was a piece of paper.

"It is a letter... its signed by Link..." Shad announched after examining the paper. "It reads: 'Dear Shad, I am assuming this is the first statue you've visited, if not I'm sorry for any confusion. Though I've already collected these books and we've already used them on the statue in Renado's house, and I know you've tried the word on all the other statues, I've tried my hardest to reset everything I've done, but I must tell you the cannon we uncovered is still where I left it because I found it impossible to move it back. So, I tried my hardest to set you up on a little hunt. I don't want to be much part of your expedition, so I hope you can figure out the mystery I've set before you, as I've tiried to the best of my ability to make it seem clearly that you've done it all yourself, and as well it should be. Good luck, signed, Link'."

Shad hesitated. "So Link has been to the City in the Sky...I still can't believe he's letting me take his glory..."

"So he's setting us up on a little hunt for something?" "I think he's included some extra information in these documents sice I have already examined them myself when he found them earlier. I think that information will be what we need to know to get to the City in the Sky! Oh, I'm so excited! We're getting so close!"

Ashei smiled, then looked off to the horison. "Hey, the sun is setting." She said. "Its about time we set up camp, and these ruins are a good spot. I'll build us a fire, so I'm going to need to find some wood. Stay here, and yell if there's any trouble."

She didn't wait for Shad's reply, then left the ruins site, to find some wood for a fire. With her gone, Shad felt uncomfortable being alone. He was suddenly glad she volunteered to travel with him, he never knew how dangerous it could be. He had traveled through Hyrule before, but the monsters were taking to guarding the statues more seriously for some reason.

When Ashei returned, she was carrying a load of logs and sticks. She laid them in the center of the ruins site, and since the ground there was paved with stone, she didn't have to worry about grass catching fire. She built a firecircle out of stones which were lying about, then placed the wood inside. Shad watched with intrest as Ashei assembled a campfire, and took two spark-rocks from her sack.

"Normally I'd light a fire from scratch, but with you around, I decided to bring spark-rocks to speed things up a bit." She explained as she striked the rocks together. Sparks shot from the rocks and into the logs, and they immediatly caught fire and began to burn. Ashei nurtured the tiny fire for a second with her breath, then when it was large enough, she let it burn on its own, and it grew larger. She fed it more sticks, then took a bag of preserved meats from her backpack. She took a longer, straiter stick, and stuck some meat onto a sharpened edge, carefully placing it over the fire.

"I hope it turns out right. I usually like mine overdone. What's your prefrence?" She asked Shad as she turned the stick to get the meat done on all sides.

"Oh, I don't know. The only meats I've ever eaten were cooked in a closed space, an oven... I've never had some over a campfire... but I would like mine done well, but not burnt..."

"Then I guess you're going to have to settle for a bit overdone, because that's how I like it, and if I did all the work around here I should enjoy my dinner more than you, yeah?" Ashei said with a smile.

As they waited for the meat to cook, Shad took a book from his backpack, and began reading, using the light of the fire for the sun had set by now. When the meat was done, Ashei gave Shad his portion on a seperate stick. As she said, it was a bit overdone, burnt on some sides. Shad carefully ate around it. "So, Shad..." Ashei began after swallowing a bite, "What brought you into the Restistance, anyway?"

Shad gulped, then said, "I... I wanted to offer my help for Hyrule..."

"Oh, come on, there's got to be a deeper reason than that!" Ashei urged.

Shad looked down, then placed the remainder of his meat in the fire. He was done with it. He turned around, taking his sleeping bag off his backpack (for it was strapped to it), and positioned it as far away from Ashei as possible without being out of range from the heat of the fire.

"You barely ate anything!" She said.

"I'm not quite hungry..." Shad mumbled, entering his sleeping bag and turning around, his back facing her.

Ashei frowned. _Was it something I said?_

_END OF CHAPTER ONE_

(to be continued)


	2. Cannons and Deserts

Over the course of five days, Shad and Ashei had uncovered four more statues, and yet there was still no clue left behind by Link. With just two statues remaining, one on the Bridge of Eldin and the other, in the Gerudo Desert, things were coming close to being done.

One day was spent wastefully as Shad and Ashei went to Lake Hylia to see how they were to get the statue in Gerudo Desert. Though Shad had never been there personally, he had read in a book that a statue was located there. They found that a cannon could shoot them to the desert, owned by a man named Fyer, but he refused to let them use the cannon for undisclosed reasons.

Shad and Ashei had also examined the Sky Cannon that was there. Shad had no idea how Link managed to bring it there, but when he tried to get it to work, he noticed that the hatch to get inside it was locked tightly shut.

As Shad pondered the situation, he was becoming more anxious, and Ashei could see it.

"Just think," Shad began, "Finally meeting the Sky Beings! We're getting so close I can just see it now!" The rising sun shone down upon Shad, glinting off his glasses and uplifting his smile. The sky was painted in vibrant hues of blue and pink, the morning dew was still on the plants.

Ashei rolled her dark eyes, "Isn't that the eighth time this morning you've said that?"

"Yes, but I just can't stop talking about it..." Shad said, his voice faltering as he looked down. "Sorry..."

"Its fine." Ashei replied swiftly, then pointed. "Look, there's Eldin bridge. The next statue shouldn't be too far from here."

Shad hurried ahead of her, which surprized Ashei. She had never seen him act so abrupt, for he was bound and determined to get to the next clue.

"Shad, wait up!" Ashei ran after him, surprized and amused at Shad's own speed. When she caught up with him, however, there was an orcish battle cry from across the bridge. Ashei squinted, and saw that a Bulblin archer was standing atop a ledge at the bridge, and he was weilding a bow, notching a fire arrow to it. Before Ashei could respond, the Bulblin released the tension of the arrow, and milliseconds later, it collided with Ashei's arm, settting a small fire to her clothes. She yelped with the sudden pain, tore the arrow out of her shoulder, then dropped to the ground and rolled to put out the flame.

This was the first time Shad ever saw Ashei bleeding in combat, and it surprized him.

"Shad, watch out!" She called despite the horrible injury, protective of Shad.

Another arrow was zooming torwards Shad, but he was prepared. He jumped backwards, the arrow narrowly missing his foot.

Shad grabbed Ashei, who was still on the ground, losing too much blood from the injury she sustained to stay in combat. He dragged her across the bridge, dodging fire arrows as he went. Two narrowly missed Ashei, who he was dragging as swiftly as he could, but in all her armor, she was heavier than he was, and it made it hard for him to drag her across the uneven stones. He was soon out of the range of the creature's weapon and sight.

"Are you alright?" Shad asked.

"I'll be fine, I just need some bandages..." Ashei breathed. "Thanks... you really stuck you neck out for me back there... I'm impressed."

Shad blushed. "Well, I... you know, it was the smartest thing to do in that situation..." He hesitated. "How are we going to defeat those archers from afar? We have no bows..."

"We'll just have to run fast..." Ashei said. "If you'll exuse me, I'm going behind that stone over there to change and get some bandages... if you look, I'll kill you." She said, then left, grasping her shoulder tightly.

Shad didn't have any intention to look. He instead looked off at the bridge, where the Bulblin's short-sighted eyes couldn't catch him, and he was safe. Shad paced nervously, thinking about how they were to rush at the Bulblin.

_ Maybe Ashei could charge at it and leave me time to reveal the next peice of the puzzle..._ he thought, _or we both could catch it by surprize and... oh, how dreadful that would be... I would surely be hurt... _

He glanced up, wondering what the Bulblin's plan was should they approach it at speed. Could it just shoot them easier that way? It had the advantage, being on an elevation.

Soon, Ashei had returned, her arm bandaged, but bloodstains still were on her armor.

"Have any plans?" She asked Shad, standing behind him and gazing torwards the creature.

Shad shook his head in distaste. "No... the only thing I've concluded is that it may be more dangerous to approach it at such a speed... we could run while it notches an arrow, then back up as it shoots it, then run again as it readies another arrow... but how are we to reach it at its position?"

Ashei noted the creature's location. The bridge had a stair-like group of rocks leading to a higher point that the archer was stationed on. They could climb the rocks, but they would be dangerously close to the archer, and they could only hope to dodge it's deadly aim from such close quarters.

"We'll have to climb really fast..." Ashei said. "Maybe what you just suggested is a plan. Do you think we should try it?"

"Go for it... I believe I'll stay back here until you dispatch it..." Shad breathed.

Ashei shrugged, then began running down the bridge, following Shad's battle strategy. It worked, but when Ashei approached its perch, she had to get serious about dodging arrows. Shad was amazed at her agility as she swiftly climbed up a series of rocks, and swiftly decapitated the creature. Shad closed his eyes when he saw what she was about to do, and shivered. He would dread having to see the body as he made his way up to her. He peeled his eyes open, then dashed across the bridge to the statue the creature was guarding, trying his best not to look at the creature's corpse.

"So, if this statue doesn't have another clue, then the one in the desert will... but oh, I heard that getting to the desert meant being shot from a cannon, and that sounds positivly dreadful..." Shad said as he examined the next owl statue, readying his rod.

"It'll be a good opertunity to ready yourself for being shot into the sky, because a cannon is used then to, yeah?" Ashei said. "You'll have to get used to it somehow..."

"Oh, I know..." Shad said as the rod began to hum as he gathered energy to it. He then flung the rod, releasing the orb of energy into the air, and it collided with the statue. Shad moved it swiflty aside by stepping backwards, then released the hold on the statue and ran over to the spot it was guarding.

He leaned down, examining the inside of the green area revealed before him. and picked up the next book it was hiding. He flipped through it, and smiled when he saw a document carefully placed between two pages in the middle.

Shad opened it, for it was folded, his face contorting with thought as he examined it. "Hm... it appears to be a memo written by Auru... its adressed to a man named Fyer... oh, were have I heard that name before?"

"Lake Hylia!" Ashei shouted before Shad did. "He's the man that runs the cannon there, remember? It was just yesterday, wasn't it?"

"Yes... that visit was dissapointing... look, it says here that Fyer will open up the Oasis Shot cannon for us if we show this to him. We can get to the desert now... but oh, I'm not looking forward to being shot from a cannon... how dangerous would it be?"

"Link survived," Ashei said. "It must be safer than we think."

The two left the bridge, headed back to Lake Hylia. It was going to be a long walk.

- - -

"That's the document that the young swordsman showed me, alright..." The odd man said as he examined the memo Shad held before him. "Well, I'll open up the cannon, free of charge... do you want to try it now?"

Shad hesitated at the question, then turned to Ashei, his knees shaking slightly.

"I can't do this, Ashei..." he groaned. "Its a cannon... I mean... it's dangerous... I mean, it _may _be dangerous... I mean..." He stammered, then looked down. "I..."

"Come on, Link did it. Its peftectly safe, isn't it, Fyer?" Ashei asked the man.

"Yeah, its safe alright..." The man mumbled. "Climb on in if you're ready. It can shoot more than one person at a time..."

"Come on, Shad! It'll be fun!"

Shad looked slightly pale, and a little sick. "No, I can't..." He breathed.

"Open it up, Fyer." Ashei commanded, then swiftly whriled around and grabbed Shad's wrists. Shad cried out with distaste, trying to pull away from her, but Fyer had opened the door that led inside the cannon room, and Ashei pushed Shad inside, then jumped in herself.

Inside the cannon was very dark, and Shad couldn't see which way was up. The only thing he could acomplish was lie on the cold metal of the inner cannon, shivering with fear. Suddenly, strange music from outside began to play, and the cannon reared, teetering forward as it was quite unbalanced, and aimed unsteadily at the sky.

"I feel... nasueous..." Shad warned, his teeth rattling as the cannon began to shake. "This may not end up as pleasing as we may have hoped..."

"Get over it!" Ashei said, her voice trembling with excitement. "We're about to fly! Don't you like the Sky Beings?"

"Yes, and I'm not afraid of flying... its hitting the ground that worries me..."

Suddenly, an explosion from behind them caused the cannon to fire, and Shad fainted from the fear and sudden jagged motion.

- - -

Ashei landed safely as she predected, in the middle of the Gerudo desert. She had to find a way to grab Shad on the way down though, and holding him was a pain as they made their decent. Ashei's joints didn't seem damaged from the landing, but Shad still hadn't snapped himself back into consciousness.

Ashei laid Shad down on the platform they landed on, examining him under the burning afternoon sun. The desert sky was devoid of clouds, and the sand and clay which covered the new world was empty from all visable life, including plants. The rugged landscape was teeming with crevices and canyons, rocks and ledges. It was a lot diffrent than the rest of Hyrule.

"Hey!" Ashei slapped Shad gently across the cheek, attempting to rouse him. "Wake up!"

Shad groaned, blinking as he sat up. He rubbed his cheek where Ashei had slapped him. "...Is this heaven...?" He mumbled, then his eyes met Ashei's. "Oh. I assume its not because you're here..."

"What did you say?!" Ashei yelled, her voice cracking.

"Oh, nothing... it was a joke... I meant nothing by it, really..." Shad held his hands up in defence, then swiftly changed the subject. "Are we in the desert? Did we land safely?"

Ashei lifted her head and laughed. "Oh, you should've been awake! It was amazing, flying through the sky... and the landing was fine. If only you hadn't blacked out."

"I was sure I would be dead..." Shad stood up shakily. "My, is it hot out here..."

"Well, _duh_!" Ashei exclaimed. "Its the desert! Did you leave your brains in the cannon or something? I thought you were smart!"

Shad blushed. "I was just making a comment... its not like I didn't know it would be hot... I mean, of course I knew."

"Whatever," Ashei said, and pointed. "Its going to be a long, hot journey, but we have plenty of water, right?"

Shad checked his backpack, and nodded. "Mine's all here. You?"

"Yeah."

The two began walking through the scorching heat and desert sand, unaware of the danger lurking below them. As time passed, Ashei started to feel something crawl underneath them under the sand, and she was brought to a halt.

"Do you feel that?" She asked.

"What?"

As if to reply, something jumped out of the sand as suddenly as Ashei sensed it, and it grabbed her leg.

"Agh!" Ashei shouted, wrenching her sword from its sheath and slashing the creature across the head. It looked like some sort of scorpian, with a very strange shaped mouth. It looked almost like a hand.

Shad yelped, falling backwards as another of the same breed jumped out of the sand and torwards him. He fumbled with his dagger, holding it awkwardly in a trembling hand as he pointed it at the swiftly approaching sand monster.

Ashei had killed the one who attacked her, then dashed to save Shad. When the monster was defeated, the two of them were left panting and digging for a bottle of water in their backpacks.

"What was that?"

"I don't know the name of it, but we best be careful, now that we know what attacked us and where it'll come from."

Shad did not reply and kept walking, this time he was more wary of the creatures lurking under the sand.

After a few hours of stumbling through the searing heat, Shad had located the next statue, standing atop a mountain of desert ruins. He scrambled up on top of a pillar, then shot the statue and dragged it off of the pillar by moving backwards, for the statues always followed their masters' movements.

Shad's hands began to tremble. This was the last statue... and the key to the sky was definatly going to be hidden inside. Both he and Ashei found their way atop the statue, then they gathered the book into their hands.

"There's a key in it. It must unlock that sky cannon!" Shad said. "I... I don't think I could live out through another cannon shot, especially one aimed at the direct sky..."

"You fainted through the last one." Ashei said. "How bad could this one be?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Shad scracted the back of his head, examining the key that had fallen out of the book. He jumped down from the statue, then looked around. The sun was setting, and Shad was beginning to feel very cold. He was aware that deserts normally got below freezing at night.

"I suggest we leave as soon as possible..." He breathed. "Wait a minute..."

He looked around. "There isn't another cannon here, is there?" A deep silence gripped their hearts as they exchanged glances, their eyes both wide with terror.

"Are we trapped here...?" Ashei breathed.

"I'm afraid so..."

"Well, there has to be another way out!" Ashei exclaimed. "There just _has _to be!"

Shad began to panic. "Oh no, we're going to die! We're going to run out of supplies and we're going to starve, or we'll be eaten by those horrid sand monsters! Oh, we're going to become a buzzard's meal... we're going to be chewed to smitherines, tormented in the sun... oh, we're going to be roasted, we're-"

"Shut up, Shad, and concentrate!" Ashei yelled over his frantic rambling. "Let's think for a minute. How did Link get back?"

Shad forced himself to calm down by taking a deep breath, coughed from the grains of sand that floated in the air, then said, "Well... I guess we'll just have to explore for a while and find a way... Look over there." He pointed to the horison, where a large camp stood proudly over the land.

"I believe that is a monster's camp of some sort. Whatever they're guarding has to be our ticket out of here, wouldn't you say so?"

"Well, I guess that's our only option." Ashei sighed. "Come on, Shad. No time to lose."

"But the sun is setting, and I'm rather hungry..."

Ashei hesitated, knowing that Shad only ate meager portions of food, he was probably worrying to much to eat well. Ashei sighed, reached into her sack, and pulled out a few fruits.

"Here," she tossed him an apple and orange, "they'll go bad soon anyway. I won't miss them."

Shad looked up at Ashei. "I didn't think you had fruit with you..."

"Well, I did. I'm giving it to you, so be thankful."

"Oh, I'm very thankful! I just didn't think you'd consider packing fruit."

"Well, I did. Enjoy." Ashei said simply, then headed off torwards the camp. Shad munched on the apple, tossing away the core when it was done. He pocketed the orange, though. He didn't know how much longer they had, and if their supplies were wasted unnecissarily, their death would come swifter.

- - -

The two were surprized to find the interior of the camp deserted. There were a few reeking corpses of some boars, roasted in the sun, and decomposed halfway. Shad looked away with a grimace, but Ashei wasn't bothered by it.

"Look, a dead Bulblin." She pointed to a corpse in the sand. "Looks like someone beat us here. Do you think Link did this?"

"I suppose so..." Shad murmured.

They continued through the camp stealthily, avoiding the source any sounds when there was the occasional squack or rustle, until they came face-to-face with an unnaturally large palace.

"The Arbiter's Grounds..." Shad breathed. "Its a tomb of great peril... oh, let's find some other possible way to leave... I don't want to venture into that zone, it would be nothing more than a suicide mission..."

Ashei ignored him and walked up a great flight of stairs leading to the catacomb's front doors. She turned to look at Shad. "Well, come on. I'm not heading back and I'm sure you don't want to be left alone out here. You'll be killed."

"I'll be killed either way!" Shad yelled, then his face softened. "But I guess my chances of survival are stronger with you..." He ran up the stairs, caught up with Ashei, and they entered the weathered, yellow-bricked tomb.

The first room was filled with quicksand. Shad shivered, walking through the room with caution, but Ashei hurried ahead.

"We have to find a way around this quicksand," she said, looking around. On the walls were grated iron spots on the wall, behind them was a flickering candle. Ashei assumed Link had used these to get around. "Link wouldn't have any trouble with his tools, but we're going to have to be strategic and think of a diffrent way than what he took."

She pointed to a few stones that were located in the sand. "We could hop across those, maybe..."

She took the first leap, jumping across the sand and onto a stone. She was relieved to find it quite sturdy. She jumped up and down on it a few times, making sure it was planted fimrly, then she jumped across to the next one.

"Come on, Shad. Its safe."

"Safe for you, maybe..." Shad muttered, then hesitated before jumping across. He scrambled a bit, afraid he was to trip.

"You're really off-balance, Shad. You need to find a good center of balance and concentrate on your footing. You can do this."

Shad gulped, looking into the quicksand. In the middle of the room, the quicksand was converging into a vortex which sank into the unseen depths. He then made another jump across to the stone Ashei was on.

"Just two more stones." She said, "Then we can make it to that door over there."

"I'm... hesitant..." Shad murmured. "Ashei, this is a tomb! And you know how I get with bodies... oh, the sickening mass of rotting flesh..." he shivered at his own words.

"I'm sure no one's been rotting in here for a long time. If we're going to see anything, its bones." Ashei said. "Unless of course there was the occasional living being that Link killed when he explored this place..."

Shad found her words not so reassuring.

Ashei leapt to tne next stone, then safely onto the platform near the door. Shad did his best to mimick her movements, and they entered to a very dimly lit room. It was too dark for them to see very clearly.

"I'm not liking this..." Shad said. "I feel there's something in the dark corners, waiting to leap out and-"

As he spoke, something jabbed him in the back, and he grunted with the sudden pain, and fell forward, stumbling into Ashei.

"Shad!" Ashei spun around, catching the surprized but conscious Shad, then gasped. A skeleton warrior stood in Shad's place, a rod in its hands. The rod seemed as if it should've had a blade at the end, but the blade had fallen off.

Shad stumbled and regained his footing, then yelled with fear. Something lit a torch nearby, and when the room was lit, they found it filled with walking skeletons.

Shad screamed, dropping to the sandy ground and throwing his hands over his head. If anything scared him enough to cause him to lose all hope for courage, it was this. The undead. "Shad, get up! Where's your courage?! Oh, wait! You never had any!" Ashei yelled, and drew her sword. She ran over to Shad to defend him as the skeletons made their way closer to her.

She closed her eyes.

_Concentrate. You've seen Link fight before... how did he spin his sword?_ She asked herself, then, with a shout, she spun around, holding the sword out firmly. She was surprized at how similar it looked to Link's move, but it lacked the whirl Link had with it. The attack manadged to send the entire group of skeletons breaking into peices and clattering onto the ground in a pile of bones.

"Its alright Shad. They're gone. You're okay, yeah?" Ashei asked.

Shad looked up, shivered, then said, "Yes, I'm fine... I truly don't know what I'd do without you..." He grinned, then stood up. "Well, let's continue, shall we? I'm not liking this place..."

The two entered through the door the skeletons were guarding to find themselves in a huge room with extremly high ceilings and chandelier. On the floor in the middle of the room lie a hooded cloak, and rising from it was a purple vapor. Up a flight of stairs in the room were lit four tall torches with a blue flame.

"This place is very eerie..." Shad commented as he walked across the stone floor, his shoes clicking on the ground. He then noticed the cloak and grimaced. "Ugh, I wondered where that horrible reek was coming from... what could that be?" Shad walked over to the cloak, and saw a tiny skull on the neck of it just over the hood. Whatever it was, it was quite dead.

Shad began looking up, and Ashei followed his eyes as they met at the torches, each lit, and a great door was hanging open in front of them. He looked up with bated breath, contemplating the layout of the room and how all the attention was being drawn to the door.

"Let's waste no time- I bet that door shall lead us out, wouldn't you say?" Shad said, then dashed up the stairs. Ashei noted that when he was _slightly _afraid, he had more adrenelene and determination to leave, but if he was _extremly _afraid, he would lose all hope and would fall to the ground in self defence, but also self sacrifice to the enemy.

Ashei followed him closely behind, and they ran through the door. The next room was brighter and less eerie, and a few tiles were missing, showing gears in the floor. Across from the gears was a large room filled with shifting sand, and a long ramp sloped upwards across the tower-like room. Both Ashei and Shad were drawn to this one.

"Look at these spirals," Shad noted, "they appear to be some sort of track for a tool or something, but we may be able to climb up it..." He looked up, and noticed that the room ended at the very top and led into another chamber. "Oh, but I'm not so sure about climbing this..."

"Well, whatever tool was used, I doubt its here." Ashei said. "There just has to be another way up there..."

Shad examined the walls, running his fingers over the uneven surphace, then a look of thought came across him. "Do you think we could scale the wall with our weapons? The rocks are quite old, and if we place our blades between the rocks, we could get a firm handhold."

"You mean to scale the wall with our only tools of survival? What if the blade breaks?"

"Well I don't know any other way of getting up there."

"How about we check the other rooms first?"

"The other rooms appear to be headed downwards, and I doubt the way out would be down. This palace is large, and I'm sure if we want to get out, we go up."

Ashei decided not to argue with Shad's judgement, then looked up the wall. "It would be a long climb..." She said. "Oh, I don't know, Shad..."

"Well, I'm hesitant as well, but I really want to get out of here!" Shad said, then drew his dagger. "You don't like this old thing anyway, do you?" He asked, guesturing to the dagger, then dug it into the wall, between two rocks. Dust sprayed from the impact, and the dagger held firmly. Shad then put his feet onto the wall, gripped the dagger firmly with one hand, found another handhold with the other, and then wiggled the dagger free before digging it into another stone.

Ashei was amazed at his efforts. Though there was strain in his voice from climbing a wall with his hands and dagger, his progress was exceptionally fast, for Shad. Ashei decided it was best to join him, and took out her sword. She hesistated, examining it, then frowned.

_ The sword is too long for this task. Maybe I can climb the wall with my bare hands..._

She tested her thought, and found it possible, yet extremly difficult. She followed after Shad, looking down occasionally not out of fear, but of wonder to see how much progress she made. However, she found it even more difficult to climb after Shad as time went on.

She suddenly hit a handhold with her fingers, and accidentally wrenched the brick free from the wall, causing her to lose balance. She was halfway up, and a fall from such a height would be fatal.

"Shad!" She yelled by a reflex, hanging freely by one hand.

"Ashei!" Shad looked down, for he could see her at the angle they were at. "Hang on!"

From loosing grip, she couldn't regain it from such the position, and was slipping fast. Rapidly, her companion began to climb downwards, reversing his movements until he was at her side, just in time. The other brick she was holding onto began to give way.

"Grab my hand!" He yelled, and she reached for him, grasping his wrist tightly. He almost fell with her weight, but once she had balanced herself, they were left breathing hard.

"Thanks, Shad..." Ashei breathed. "That was without doubt the bravest thing you've done..."

"Oh, I've done braver... before..." Shad said with a noticable blush.

"Oh, what's your bravest feat, pray tell?"

Shad ignored the question and continued to climb. "Its a rather awkward place to discuss that..." Shad muttered. "Perhaps later."

"Okay..." Ashei said, and climbed up after him, soon finding herself standing at a level ledge which led to a door. Finding it the only visable one, Shad and Ashei entered it together, and found themselves in a massive chamber with a large podium-like platform in the center, and the same strange tracks running up the walls that they had seen earlier. Across a bridge which led to the platform was another door.

Shad and Ashei examined the room for a bit, but not thuroughly. "I have a hunch that that door leads us outside..." Shad said. "Oh, come on, it shouldn't be far now!"

The two scrambled across the pale-bricked walkway, and opened the door, and were unprepared at what they saw.

They were at the very top of the Arbiter's Grounds, on the outside, gazing down at the desert which was exposed before them. Inside, Shad and Ashei had gotten used to being cool, away from the sun, but now, the huge, blazing monster had returned, and they were closer to it than they were on the ground, and it felt hotter.

There was a staircase winding up which led to the unknown, and finding it the only way to travel, they ascended the stairs, and found another large area, an unclosed space, in-between massive pillars.

In the middle of the room were shards of glass, and a strange platform. Near the platform was a gigantic rock-like object, almost rectangular in shape, gazing down at them with mysteriousness.

Shad muttered something under his breath that Ashei couldn't interpret, and walked forward slowly, gazing around the area with intrest.

"It appears I haven't found a way out of this desert, but this is just remarkable... the architecture is fascinating, and... that stone, oh, it makes me feel almost like it wants to eat me or something... it scares me dearly!"

"Yeah, what is that stone, anyway? It kind of, dare I say it, gives me the creeps as well..."

Shad approached the stone, but kept considerable distance. "We may have to note this and ask Link later, that is, if we find a way to get out of this desert..."

There was a conversational pause, and quite a lengthy one as well.

"It was amazing, quite a journey, to get this far... but somehow, it feels underaccomplished... we failed to find a way out of this desert..."

Shad sat down on a large stone, and buried his head in his hands, hunching his shoulders. "We're dead." He moaned.

Ashei walked over to him slowly, then sat next to him. "You know, my father always taught me never to give up hope, even in such a circumstance. He also told me to always have faith, no matter what the circumstances are." 

Shad breathed heavily. "I suppose you're right. We should explore this room and find any clues."

The two of them stood up, and began exploring the room. Ashei had only just started when she had heard a faint squeaking sound from near her, and she gasped. "I heard something!"

Shad came running over to her, his expression showing intrest. "What is it?"

The squeak occurred again, and the two followed the noise until they found a large pot which appeared to be shaking, as if something were inside it. Shad was hesitant, so Ashei approached the pot, and overturned it, shaking out its contents.

What hit the ground caused both Ashei and Shad to gasp. A tiny creature, the size of a cucco and the body of one as well, with yellow feathers, but with an almost humanlike head and very long neck with strange markings running down it, rolled from the pot and collapsed in the floor.

It turned around, then looked up at Ashei. "Gracious!" It exclaimed in a feminine voice. "I've been stuck in that pot for days! Thank you for helping me, I am forever in your debt! You are just about as kind as that wonderful boy in green clothes who helped me the other day."

"Who are you? What are you? You know Link?" Ashei asked."My name is Ooccoo, and I am an Oocca from the Sky. I've just been exploring Hyrule lately, and I keep finding myself accidentally warping into pots. If Link is your friend, you are quite lucky! He's such a helpful young man!"

Shad's jaw dropped. "Its an Oocca! Oh, its an Oocca!" He jumped up and down, so excited he could barely stand still. He was too intrested in actually finding one to consider the last part of her statement. She could warp. Shad fumbled in his backpack, taking out a journal and hastily sketching a picture of Ooccoo, and then scribbled down a short account of how and where he found her.

Ashei caught this, and exclaimed, "You can warp?! Wow, we've been stuck in this desert for a while, and if you want to repay us, could you warp us out of here?"

"Gracious, I could!" Ooccoo said. "My son will certainly do the honors for you, his name is Junior. Say hi, Junior!"

The baby Oocca seemed to pop up out of nowhere. He looked like the head of an Oocca, but with little wings on the sides of his head, replacing ears. He hovered around, examining Shad and Ashei. Shad drew him into his journal with a wide smile as Junior hovered around them like a hummingbird. Shad had so many questions to ask that he just couldn't pick the right one to ask first.

"Hi!" He squeaked in his tiny voice. "My momma taught me to warp! I can get you out of here."

"Oh, but wait, please!" Shad pleaded. "I've been studying your race for years, I've been dying to meet one! I want to know about you!"

Junior, however, was so excited to test his warping skills to heed Shad's frantic pleading, and Junior had already begun warping them away. He hovered around them in zigzag patterns, and as his flight speed increased, they began to dematerialize into thin air, as if they've never been there. 

- - - 

Shad opened his eyes, finding himself standing in Lake Hylia, right next to the locked cannon. He remembered he had gathered the key to unlock it earlier.

Junior hovered around them, then he hovered torwards the cannon. "I brought you here! I think Momma knows you awesome kids want to go to my city! This is the way to get there."

"What about Ooccoo?" Shad asked. "Will she be alright? She can warp without you, can't she?"

"Momma will be fine." Junior said, "I'll just go back to her."

"Oh, please don't leave! I want to speak to you about your kind!"

"If you want to learn about us, you can go meet us in the City in the Sky!" Junior said, then dissappeared from sight.

Shad frowned, his mood had turned sullen. There was so much he wanted to ask, and now, his oppertunity was gone. He didn't blame the child, though. Junior didn't understand how badly Shad wanted to study the Sky Beings.

"Shad, we're at the cannon now!" Ashei exclaimed. "This is it, the moment we've been waiting for! A chance to get to the Sky City! What are you waiting for?"

"This cannon is diffrent than the oasis one..." Shad said. "Ashei, this one shoots clear into the sky, with no indication that it won't miss its destination."

"Link used it." Ashei used the same excuse she did last time, then pointed. "Go unlock it, Shad! Remember that you've been waiting for this moment all your life! This time, stay awake through it!"

Shad gulped, then approached the cannon slowly, with bated breath. Ashei was right- this was the highlight of his life. Why was he so hesitant? He then narrowed his eyes, drew back his shoulders confidently, then took the key from his pocket, jabbing it into the keyhole which opened the door to the hatch of the cannon.

"I'm ready." He said, then climbed inside with renewed confidence. "Well, Ashei, come on then! It can support the two of us, I'm sure."

"How does it set off?" Ashei asked as she climbed inside herself.

"There's a large red button here..." Shad said, then without hesitating, pressed it in.

Just milliseconds afterwards, the cannon reared and fired, taking the two of them by surprise. It was much less jagged than the other cannon. 

Flying through the sky was like nothing Shad had ever dreamed, and he found it more fascinating than scary, though he was afraid of what was to become of them when their angle changed directions. However, the flight was so fast he couldn't see, and his eyes were already closed from fear of looking down.

Only five minutes have passed when he and Ashei suddenly felt the force of hitting a pool of water.

The impact dragged Shad to his senses, then he looked around, and found that he was in a gigantic city, hovering in the sky.

There was a thick collection of clouds in the area, however, and Shad couldn't see much of what the city looked like. He only knew they were here. The realization that the cannon had been faithful in bringing them to the City in the Sky in one peice caused him to almost scream with delight. "Ah! We're here!" He announced. "I can't wait to begin exploring, and to get back home and tell my father!"

"Ashei, check this out!" He said.

There came no reply from his companion.

"Ashei?"

He turned around and found that Ashei had sunk to the bottom of the pool Shad's delight turned to fear. "Oh, no!" He cried, then dived under the ten-foot deep pool torwards her. He noticed her eyes were closed, and she was lying limply at the bottom. Shad quickly grabbed her arms and kicked off the ground while holding on to her. They surfaced, Shad coughing harshly as he dragged her onto shore.

"Ashei...?" He breathed, but she did not respond. He knealt near her, then bent over her to hear for her breathing, but he did not hear any indication that she was breathing.

"Oh, no..." Panic rose in his heart. In Hyrule, CPR was known among most travelers, including Shad. It was a recently discovered medical procedure, involving mouth-to-mouth, a method of breathing life into the victim's lungs. Shad knew that it was the needed procedure, but it would embarass him dearly.

"Alright, Shad... Concentrate..." He calmed himself, then in a swift, jagged movement, locked his lips with hers, giving her a hard breath down her windpipe.

She woke with a sudden jolt, breaking away from Shad and coughing up a bit of water. When she caught her breath, a look of surprise and embarrassment came across her face. She looked over her shoulder at Shad, and thought she had never seen a more embarrassed man- let alone, anyone- in her life.

"Shad...?" She hesitated. "You..."

"Please don't mention this again... to me... to anyone..."

Ashei blushed slightly, turning away quickly. "I... I can't swim." She said very quickly and quietly. "I guess you figured that out anyway..."

"Are you alright?" Shad ignored the fact that he knew one of Ashei's weak points. He didn't want to embarrass her further by talking about it.

"I'm fine, thanks..." She squeezed some water out of her hair, then looked around. "Are we in the Sky City?"

"I believe so..." Shad stood up, then walked to the edge of a protective railing. Excitement and a little fear gripped his heart as he looked over the edge, and saw clouds blanketing the sky below. "Yes, we are!" He confirmed confidently, spinning around and pointing to a walkway which led into a large, egg-shaped building. "Let's go!" He began, but was cut off by a sudden movement.

Without warning, from nearby, a shape began to take form, taking Shad and Ashei aback. They gasped as they saw the shape of Ooccoo, who they met earlier, materialize near them, with Junior hovering near her.

"Oh, gracious! It seems you've beat me here!" She said confidently. "I suppose you're wanting a tour of the place, then?"

Shad and Ashei exchanged glances and grinned.

"We'd love to."

---

Note on the latest update: I must admit this was rather rushed. I'm going to need to go back and flesh out the skeleton of text I have above later, but my life is really crazy lately.

note: "I selfishly request feedback of any variety, blind hatred or blind praise, thousand-word theses or one-word non sequiturs. Please." Tiki


	3. The City in the Sky

(These are my ideas for the main plot of the story from here on out, they do need refinement, but I'm just thinking... I really want some input on these ideas, I'm not keeping this if I don't like it. I need to see what you think first.)

- - -

Shad and Ashei followed Ooccoo into the nearest building, a giant egg-shaped structure. Shad never put away his journal, and was drawing, what he called, 'quick sketches' of everything that caught his eye in the Oocca world. Ashei glanced over his shoulder and gasped at how extrodinary his pencil sketches were. Ashei knew she could draw just fine, but Shad was beyond her skills. Every detail in his drawings were percice, though they were a bit sketchy. He even put shading and highlights in their proper positions, and used his finger to blend the shading into a unique looking 3-demensional effect. What surprised Ashei was how fast he did it and the quality of it in the amount of time he used.

"That's really good, Shad... I'm impressed." She said.

Shad blushed and closed his journal, even if he was in the middle of drawing one of the buildings. "Oh, I didn't know you were watching..." his ears turned red as he grimaced. "I... they're horrible, aren't they...? You're just trying to make me feel good."

"No, Shad..." Ashei gave him a look of confusion. "Those are some of the best drawings I've ever seen done in such a small amount of time."

"Oh, I know, they're completly imperfect..."

"So you've done better, is what you're trying to tell me?"

"Oh, yes. I've sold quite a few of my better ones... I draw wildlife and the sky sometimes... I'm more partial to bigger paper and pens other than this old pencil of mine..."

"I didn't know you were so passionate about art." Ashei asked as a small gust kicked up, blowing her black hair to the side. She shook her head slightly, brushing her hair back in place. They were almost inside the building.

"Well, my mother was very intrested in the arts... she taught me how to draw at a young age... how to get the proportions exact, to study the figure, and use the shapes of the subject as guidelines, then adding in the details where they belong..." His voice got quieter as he spoke. He said something else, but it was too quiet for Ashei to hear. He sounded very nostalgic and morose. Ashei looked closely, and could almost see a hint of anger burning in his pupils, as if he was housing a deep hatred within him.

"You've never mentioned your mother before," Ashei said as Ooccoo stopped in front of the door that led inside the egg-like structure.

"Does it really matter?!" Shad whirled around and faced Ashei with a distasteful look in his eyes. "Does it really matter if I've ever mentioned her or not?!" A stray tear slid down his cheek as his eyes began to turn a bit red around the edges. He sniffed, brushing away the tear quickly with his finger, then said quietly, his shoulders falling as he spoke, "I... I apologize for my abrupt rudeness, I..." He turned away, his cheeks turning bright pink, "I... I think the wind just got something in my eye... oh, I'll open this door for you, Ooccoo..." His voice choked as he quickly opened the door and dashed inside the room.

Ashei frowned. _So that's why... I'm beginning to get the impression that he lost his mother when he was a child. Maybe it has something to do with when he joined the Resistance... _

_So we have more than we thought we had in common..._

_- - -_

When inside, Ashei found Shad speaking to another Oocca, who was standing on a table. When Ashei approached them, she realized they were speaking a completely diffrent language. The conversation stopped when Shad noticed Ashei.

His eyes and expression appeared normal now, he had probably gotten himself calmed down. Ashei's tongue was burning to ask him more about his mother, but she found it best not to bring it upon Shad if it bothered him so much.

"Your friend speaks our language very fluently." The Oocca said, stumbling slightly over the Hylian words. "He says he's been studying us ever since he learned to read when he was two."

"You learned to read when you were two?" Ashei exclaimed. "I barely can read, and I'm roughly twenty."

Shad smirked, but his smile vanished quickly. "My father is a scholar himself, but he's too old to continue his research on the Oocca. That's why I'm doing it for him. I've been studying their language mostly, but I'm not that great at the pronounciations yet..."

"He's fine speaking our language." Ooccoo said, hopping onto the table with the other Oocca. "I think you sound excellent."

"By the way, his name is Ooccii." Shad pointed to the male Oocca who was standing on the table. The male looked absolutly no diffrent than the female, Ooccoo. Shad would never be able to tell if it wasn't for their distinct voices to match their genders.

"He is also my husband." Ooccoo said, and Junior hovered over to his father. "See, this is Daddy!" He squeaked.

"I'm Shad, and this is my companion, Ashei." Shad said in Hylian. "If you find it hard to understand me, I can speak Oocca at any time if you want..."

"We can understand you fine." Ooccii said. "But I don't think your friend Ashei would be able to understand Oocca if you tried."

"Nope." Ashei said with a chuckle. "It all sounds like gibberish to me."

"Oh, it truly is fascinating..." Shad said. "I mean, once you get the hang of it, it's very-"

Ashei cut him off. "Don't even try to get me to speak Oocca, Shad. I'm never going to have the heart and mind to do it. I think your brain capacity is somewhat better than mine in some areas... if only you had the brain capacity to hold in combat tequniques, you might actually be useful."

Shad ignored the comment, then turned to Ooccii. "So, as I was saying, it has taken me simply years and years to find you, and I never would've done it if it wasn't for Link. Link's been here, hasn't he?"

"Yes, Link has." Ooccii said. "He killed a Twilit Dragon here, named Argok, who was terrorizing us."

"At any rate," Shad continued, "I really want to learn about you for a while, and live among you for a few days. If you have any secrets you are willing to share, I must know! My father Sunari wants to know everything there is to know about you all."

Ooccii and Ooccoo paused, and exchanged glances. "Well, we would love to show you what we can... to start things off, I believe we will show you one of our deepest secrets..." Ooccoo said.

Ooccii said something extremly fast in Oocca, and Shad couldn't pick up everything he said. After a few moments of listening to the couple exchange words, they turned to Shad.

"Actually, there's something we would like to show you right now..." Ooccii said softly. "Please, come into this room."

Shad's journal trembled in his hands as he followed the two birdlike races down a corridor in the room, with Ashei following close behind. "I can't believe this is actually happening!" Shad exclaimed, looking over at Ashei with excitement. She grinned, glad to see he had returned to his normal self after enduring the mention of his mother. Ashei still wasn't sure what happened to her, but she intended to ask him later at a better time.

The corridor turned into a slope heading downwards, and they kept walking for a few minutes until they were in a very large basement under the hovering building. In the basement, the arcitecture was extremly amazing, and there were many strange statues, floating water bubbles, and other unusual, even unhylian things.

"This," Ooccoo explained, "is where we keep all of our most treasured things, including our portals."

"Portals?" Ashei questioned.

"Portals to what?" Shad asked at the same time.

"Portals to the two universes we are afflitated with. As you may know, we are known for creating the Hylians... but, we were only partially involved. No, what we created most of was the Lizalfos..." Oocoo said, walking over to a nearby portal. 

Shad gasped, then jotted down Ooccoo's words in his journal.

"We originally placed the Lizalfos inside a seperate realm... if you look through this, you will see their universe."

Shad and Ashei walked over to the 'portal'. It looked like a giant, thin bowl of water, but instead of seeing a reflection of himself, Shad saw through the water and into another world. From what he saw, it was all burned and destroyed, and there were no life.

"However, the Twilight Monsters were also sent there long ago, and they pushed the once peaceful Lizalfos to a lifetime of war and fear... they became mad... and they left the realm we made for them through our own portals, and entered Hyrule."

"Why are you telling us this?" Ashei spoke up. Shad shushed her.

"I'm sure they have their reasons... at this point I don't care what they tell me, just as long as it is information I can use."

"Whatever," Ashei said quietly as Ooccoo continued.

"That is how the Lizalfos got in Hyrule... they were scared into it by the Twili... but that isn't all I wanted to share with you, brave Shad..."

"Brave?!" Ashei chuckled, and Ooccoo turned to face Shad. "The Lizalfos are spreading through Hyrule like a wildfire... and it is our fault they came to be...and now, even as we speak, the Lizalfos Queens are building secret nests throughout Hyrule, and they are positioned in a circle around Hyrule Castle... and they are even turning into completely different creatures... their breed is expanding, becoming unstable... Dominating... and it is the Oocca's fault. This, Shad... this is why we resemble chickens. We were afraid and did nothing to stop the Lizalfos, and now, they are becoming a tick to Hyrule."

"Lizalfos?!" Ashei said. "They're like bugs! You can slap them around and they won't hurt you."

"Not anymore." Replied Ooccii. "They've been training. They've become so much more powerful, so much more fearsome. They may even match up to the talents of Link..."

"We used to resemble fair creatures of intelligence," Ooccoo said. "And now, we were downgraded to the kinds of beasts you see before you..." 

Shad's excitement turned to morbid fear as he listened to the Ooccan family, but he did not put down his journal and pencil. He glanced up at them occasionally, trying to imagine what they used to look like.

"We were aware you'd show up for quite some time... and now we know who exactly you are. Shad, you and your companion must do something about these creatures... we have chosen you."

"What?!" Shad squeaked, and Ashei yelled in surprise at the same time. "I... I am no warrior! All I wished to know from you all was information of your race..."

"I promise you'll know everything you must know about us... but these are serious times, and they call for a Legendary Hero..."

"Link! You've got the wrong person, you want Link!" Ashei said.

Ooccoo and Ooccii smiled, but with sad eyes, then said, "Link has already played his role as the Legendary Hero... you must understand that there are in fact, more than one hero in a world, and they must each be a hero in their own unique time and place. Link's task is done here, and now, it is your turn. You two must rise up as the next heroes... the heroes that will remove the Lizalfos from Hyrule." Ooccoo explained.

"I am no warrior!" Shad's voice cracked. "I... I read! I mean, if you think giving the enemy papercuts is a proper way of battle-"

"Not all heros were meant to be soldiers." Ooccii said. 

Shad looked down, and exhaled with nervous fear. He closed his eyes, taking in their words, then when he opened them, he said, "What must we do?"

"I'm in this too." Ashei said, walking near Shad and looking down at the bird creatures. "Shad and I won't ever part up until our task is done. We work as a whole."

Her words made Shad blush a bit, but he said nothing about them.

"All I wanted was to continue my father's work... and now..." He choked, then said, "...and now... you want me to kill the Lizalfos? ...What kind of person do you think I am?"

"We never said you had to kill them. We said they must be removed from Hyrule. We believe they can be brought here, to the Sky City, and placed back into the portal which brings them back to their world. While you are doing that, we will go to their world and repair it from the destruction unleashed upon it.

"You see, we were waiting for Ganondorf to be defeated so the Twili could live at peice in their realm, and the rest of the evil Twilit monsters were lifted from the world. Now that they are gone, we can place the Lizalfos in their proper realm without harm, but they can be killed if you must kill them."

"But how can this be done?" Shad pressed a hand to his temple, his fingers over his eyes, as his thoughts were induced with stress. "How can this be happening to me?!"

"We all have our tasks in the world, great or small..." Ashei explained. "I guess this is ours."

"We don't know how you'll be able to do it. We Oocca are definatly not all-knowing creatures. You are smart, Shad, very smart. Of course you could come up with a way to get rid of the Lizalfos before they spread." Ooccoo said.

"Kill the weed at the root." Ooccii said. "You must visit each of the Lizalfos nests and get rid of the queens. We suggest you don't kill them, we want the Lizalfos to live, but you must kill all the soldiers as need be."

"But why have I been chosen?" Shad breathed. "Why me?"

"Some questions can't be answered." Ooccoo said, "but this is what we've decided."

Shad looked away. "Are we alone in this?"

"No, of course not! It is your decision to do what need be with the Lizalfos, wether it be alone or with an army, but you have been chosen to be the leaders."

Shad turned away. "Where are these nests?" He asked as he looked at the exit of the room. "I believe there may be a way to get the Queens back to their land... but I'm going to need the help of Junior. If he can warp things, I can use him to warp the Queens back to their realm." 

Ooccoo seemed reluctant to let her son travel with Shad in such unforgiving places, but it seemed like a good plan. It took her a while to decide, as well as some quick exchanges with her husband in Oocca before she finally gave Junior the all-clear to travel with Shad.

"I like pockets," Junior said. "I can hide in your pocket when you don't need me, okay?"

"What do you eat?" Shad asked. "Clouds," Junior said. "If I get hungry I'll go to the sky, but I'll always come back to you."

"Intresting..." Shad said, but he failed to write this in his journal. He had too much going on in his mind.

"You may leave at any time, and you can come back whenever you like, but most of our people will be buzy in the vacant Lizalfos realm, tidying things up. There are six hidden nests, where exactly, I do not know, but they are surrounding Hyrule. I believe their plan is to take over Hyrule Castle, so they shouldn't be too far from there. If you destroy them before they spread too much, they will become easier to handle, so you must hurry."

Shad reluctantly began to leave. "I'll be back occasionally to check on things... I hope..." He said. "I promise to keep Junior safe to the best of my ability. You can count on that... and I don't normally break promises..." He hesitated, turning to Ashei. "Um... do I?"

"No, you don't." Ashei confirmed. "And if he fails to keep your son protected, I'll jump in, alright, Ooccoo?"

Ooccoo nodded. "Very well. Shad, Ashei... good luck."

- - -

_Dear Father,_

_  
Wonderful news! I found the Sky Beings! I'm mailing you the pages of my journal that were most appealing to me... I hope you enjoy these. Though I couldn't ask all the questions we wanted to know, I assure you they will be answered when I go back later._

_  
However, there's a little something you should know..._

The natives of the land tasked me and my friend Ashei with a surprizing and disturbing undertaking... we are to help the soldiers of Hyrule- nay, lead them- into destroying hidden nests of a strange army of Lizalfos... I don't know many details... I don't know how big their army is, or how diverse their race became, but this is my duty. Please don't fear for me- I'll be alright. Ashei can take care of me pretty well if I get too nervous in battle.

_I even have a child of one of the Oocca with me. His name is Junior._

_  
Anyway, its late... write back if you feel like it._

_I love you dearly,_

_Shad._

Shad hesitated, looking over his letter, then folded it into a cloth envelope and laid it on the bartable for the mailman to pick up.

The mailman was a very eccentric fellow- he never told anyone his true name, only wishing to go by 'the Mailman'. He was gifted with the ability to run at inhuman speed, and was efficiant at his mail delivery even on foot. He often stopped at the tavern to get supplies, but he was mostly on the road. Shad didn't talk to him much, he found the mailman confusing and a little frustrating to talk to. The only topic he seemed to want to discuss was mail. Then again, Shad got the thought that he was being rather hypocritical, for all _he _wanted to talk about was the Sky Beings. It made him wonder what others thought of him. He hoped he didn't get on their nerves.

Shad walked back to the table in the back of the room, sitting at it and sipping from a cup of hot tea. Suddenly, the door opened, causing him to jerk, spilling a drop from his cup. He was expecting to see Ashei, but instead, he was surprized to see Rusl.

"Rusl!" Telma shouted with a broad smile. "Oh, its nice to see you!"

"Hi, I've decided to stop by and check on things." Rusl said, dropping his backpack on the ground. "My wife and daughter are doing great back home. My daughter is very healthy and is a rather quiet baby."

"I like quiet babies," Shad said, attempting to talk about something other than Sky Beings, just to show the others he could. "It just seems so much easier to have a quiet baby than a loud one."

"You may think that at first, but crying is how babies tell us something's wrong. She may be dying one day and we wouldn't even know. But its true, quiet babies are, in my opinion, less of a hassle." Rusl said, ending his sentance with a slight chuckle.

He then noticed that the comment came from Shad, and he suddenly perked up.

"Shad! I thought you were off traveling with Ashei?" He said as he walked to the table.

"I found them." Shad said under his breath. "The Sky Beings." He then caught himself. He just couldn't help talking about them, could he?

"Well!" Rusl said with a smile. "So did you like them?"

"Oh, I loved them. They were very intresting creatures, but..." He sighed. "You're not going to like this..." He took a deep breath, then explained to Rusl about the Lizalfos, and what the Oocca tasked Shad to.

A rare look of horror swept across Rusl's face. "I..." He began, then said, "...I just got back home..." He mumbled. "I don't want to be caught up in another war right now... I have a wife and kids..."

"I never said you had to help with this..." Shad said. 

"Hyrule needs me!" Rusl said. "This is the Resistance. We are one and a whole, dedicated to fighting the monsters in Hyrule, and this is definatly a problem."

"Should we get Link?" Telma asked from behind the table.

"Only if he wants to be a hero once more." Rusl said. "He should be of great help in this."

The door to the tavern opened once more, and in came Ashei. She gasped when she noticed Rusl, but then noticed the look on his face.

"So, Shad told you about our little problem?"

"Yes..." Rusl breathed. "It pains me..." He sighed, then hesitated. "Well, I suppose our first task would be to scout the lands for anything unnatural. We need to find where these nests are. Are they underground, or in the trees? Mountains? Water?"

"We'll never know until we do some exploring. We also need to ask anyone we can find about it." Ashei said as she took her place at the table.

"Just when I thought the wars were ending... another one gets flung at us."

"I guess this is the fate of Hyrule... forever. A land always besieged by conflict." Shad said. "I was thinking about first scouting the land, with horses, if possible."

"Horses are rare these days, and they cost a fortune!" Telma said. "How would the three of you ever get horses, assuming the three of you are all needed to scout the land in a good amount of time?"

"I could sell my books..." Shad said, the look in his eyes stating it was a bloody sacrifice. "I hear there's a few young and sturdy horses on sale in the marketplace currently... If we hurry we may be able to get at least one horse."

"We could negotiate borrowing Epona from Link, too." Rusl suggested.

"But he's attached to that horse!" Ashei said. "It would be like Link asking you to borrow Colin for undercover work in the enemy base."

Rusl hesitated, finding the comparison slightly overboard, but true nonetheless. If Link was willing to give up Epona, or even come with them on their expedition, it would be a great help but a sacrifice.

Rusl stood up. "I will send for Link or his horse. In the meantime, you and Ashei can probably fit on one horse if you manage to buy one.

"I'll pitch in five hundred rupees." Telma said kindly. "I can still manage the tavern without them." She slid five orange rupees onto the table.

"We can't take this!" Shad breathed. "This is your money."

"No, it is the Resistance's money." Telma replied with a smile. "Take it, Shad. Remember, I'm part of the Resistance too, and though I may not be a warrior or dexterious enough to explore, I _sure _can pitch in my money for the sake of Hyrule!"

Shad sighed through closed lips, his gaze softening, then he said, "Alright..." He took the rupees from the table and pocketed them. _It just doesn't seem right... me carrying around all this money... oh, I am bound to be mugged!_

"This certainly will buy us a horse." Ashei said. "Come on, Shad. Let's check out the market."

The two stood up and left.

- - -

"This young stallion is well over five hundred rupees." The stablemaster said, brushing a black mare's coat with a large horse brush. "He's the fastest horse on the ranch, and probably in Hyrule! One thousand, four hundred, at the least. And you better pay more, because someone has already placed an offer on this horse for that amount. I'm only going higher."

Shad hesitated, examining the horse.

"What should we do, Ashei? This horse seems definatly capable... look at its muscles, and it seems to respond so well..."

"I don't know _anything _about horses." Ashei said, her arms crossed. "You're better at this than I am. I'm just here to protect you in case you get beat up for that sum of money you've got on you."

Shad knew he definatly couldn't afford it with rupees, but he knew something else on him had to be worth something of great value.

_My Sky Writing book... I've already memorized it, and I've found more than enough of Sky Beings... I've got one in my pocket!_

"Hold on, right there... I have this with me... its definatly a bargain..." Shad reached behind him, and unlatched a book which was strapped to his pants. It was also his dagger's sheath, and he found it also an intresting bookmark. He took the dagger out and slid it into his pocket.

"This is an ancient Sky Being book... its definatly worth more than one thousand Rupees, I do believe."

The horse tender took the book with intrest. "Sky Beings? I've heard of them..." He flipped through the odd book, and found it quite intresting. "How much do you believe this is worth?"

"I've heard it was worth one thousand fourty before... but I promise you it is no less than one thousand."

The stablemaster hesitated. "You seem like an honest lad, and this book does apprear authentic and definatly rare... Throw in that five hundred you have and we will have a deal."

Shad gasped. He didn't think the horse master would even care to have such a book. Though he did feel as though he had just lost a close friend, he knew that book would be no help in scouting Hyrule, and he already knew it by heart. "Thank you, sir..." He bowed, taking the five hundred rupees from his pocket and giving them to the man, who counted them and bit them just to make sure they were real and a good amount.

"His name is Zephyr. He's a very strong breed, very fast. He will follow your orders, though maybe not without question. It'll take practice, but you should be able to handle him all right."

"Does he come with equipment, like a bit and reins?"

"No. You'll have to get those seperate."

Shad groaned. Where would he find horse equipment?! Horses were extremly rare in Hyrule, and the only horse Shad has ever seen galloping with its rider was Epona and Link.

"Where-" He began, but the horse keeper cut him off.

"There's a barterer who lives to the south of Hyrule Castle, just next to Lake Hylia. He owns a horse supply shop, and the items are always sold at a fair price. He shouldn't be too hard to find."

Shad nodded. "Alright... so, where do I keep this horse?"

"You mean you don't even have a barn or stable for it?"

"No..."

"Then I'm not going to give you Zephyr until you find him some adequate housing!" The man growled. "Think before you make such a choice, boy."

Shad looked away. "Sorry..."

Ashei clicked her tongue. "Well... come on, Shad... let's see if we can find out where we can find a stable or something."

- - -

"My task in Hyrule is done..." Link breathed as he gazed out his window. "But I know I can offer my support still."

He turned around. Rusl saw that he was wearing his standard Ordon outfit again. He wondered if Link had lost his powers, and was no longer the Legendary Hero, but decided it was best not to ask.

"But," Link continued, "Colin seems to be getting very strong, as you've probably noticed, being his father..." Link's voice trailed. "I can stay in Ordon and train Colin. When he becomes strong enough, he may be able to help, right?"

"Maybe..." Rusl said. "But Colin is only a young boy... I wouldn't want to put him in any danger."

"As for Epona..." Link sighed. "If you can find someone who can ride her... you can borrow her. But if you hurt her, bring her back here to be healed, and you can only have her back if Ilia can bring it upon herself to lend her back."

Rusl smiled and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Link. For everything."

"I'm only doing what is best for Hyrule."

"And my son," Rusl added. "I'm afraid Colin thinks of you more of a father than I am... I only wish I had more time to spend with him..."

Link turned around. "Colin looks up to me, true, but I doubt anything can replace a father like you, Rusl."

"Thank you."

Rusl turned and left Link's treehouse, and found Epona near a pole, grazing. He pet her gently on the neck, finding her fully equipped for riding. He untied her from the post she was held to, then mounted onto her slowly.

"Easy, girl..." Rusl breathed, taking the reigns. He was surprized at how well Epona responded to his commands. She didn't ride as well as she would when Rusl would watch Link ride her, but she still was sturdy.

With Epona, Rusl could make it back to Hyrule Castle quickly and without much danger, but it would still take a day or two.

- - -

Shad and Ashei had both decided to go to the barterer on Lake Hylia, the one who was said to sell horse care items. Shad had a hunch that they also knew where to find a barn where they could keep the horse.

Lake Hylia was a day away, and it was sundown. Shad laid down his burden and sat on the grass, taking off his shoes.

"What a day..." He said under his breath.

"Hungry?" Ashei asked, dropping her pack.

"A little..." Shad said. "I'll be fine without, though..."

"Didn't you skip breakfast this morning?!" She growled. "Shad, either you eat this apple here or I'll force it down you. You're not taking care of yourself!"

"Oh, fine." Shad groaned. "Toss it here."

Ashei instead tossed him two green apples and a sack filled with dried meats. She then said, "I want you to eat all of that. I worry about you, Shad. Why don't you ever eat?"

Shad looked down. "Oh, I know I should really get over this..." He mumbled, "But somehow... I just can't. I don't know why, but..." He looked away from Ashei for a second, then he said, "My mother was a great cook. Everything she made tasted like it was cooked by angels. I really loved to help her cook, food and art was always my specialty... and alongside that, my father taught me how to read and all..."

Suddenly, Ashei noticed that the strange yet obscure anger was once again burning in Shad's sad eyes.

"Then... _they _came." He stopped there for a moment. "I... I can't remember what they were... it was so long ago...To make a long story short..." He gritted his teeth, "They killed her. And there was nothing I could do."

Shad munched solemly on a peice of the dried meat, closed his eyes, and sighed.

"You may not understand, but the relationship between my mother and I was... very strong... and when she was killed... something within me... I don't know. It was as if a tight rope which bonded us together snapped, and so did my mind..."

Ashei frowned, and waited to see if he would continue. He never did.

"Well..." She said after a long silence, "we have more in common than you may think."

"What?" Shad perked up, but Ashei had already stopped talking and had left to eat her supper and set up her bedroll far away.

- - -

Late that night, a sound woke Shad from his light sleep in an instant.

He blinked, sat up and rubbed his eyes, then looked around. The crickets were still singing, and the moon was still high.

Shad paused, something in the air causing chills to rise up his spine despite the fair weather. Slowly he stood up, laying a hand on the hilt of his dagger. His sharp, pointed ears picked up a rustle nearby, causing him to grimace.

"Ashei," he said quietly, "wake up!"

She moaned, rolling over, then said, "why?"

"I hear something."

Ashei immediatly sat up and walked over to Shad.

"What is-" she began, but her voice was cut of by a sudden screech which tore through the night. Seconds later, two creatures jumped out of a nearby shrub, armed with large swords. Shad yelped, nearly falling backwards, but he succeeded in holding his ground and holding out his dagger firmly. Ashei strained to see the creatures which approached slowly, as if they were ready to pounce.

"What are you?!" She demanded, drawing her sword.

"We are Lizalfos." One of the strange monsters hissed. It didn't look anything like a Lizalfos, which confused Ashei.

"Lizalfos are smaller... they don't have huge spikes running down their spines and their axes which are roped to their tales aren't natural..."

Her observations were true. The "Lizalfos" were much larger than an ordinary Lizalfos. They had large spikes running down their back, and an axe head was growing out of their tails.

One Lizalfos then jumped for Shad, picking the weaker one instead of Ashei. He gasped, sidestepping, but the axe on the end of its tail nipped him on the arm. He gasped, a jolt of pain stinging the new injury as he staggered backwards.

"No one hurts him when I'm around!" Ashei cried, leaping for the creature, but the other one took advantage of her and snuck up behind her. Ashei, however, was prepared, and pulled off another Link-inspired spin move, slashing it across the arm, nearly severing it.

It hissed, walking backwards as dark purple blood streamed from its injury.

Ashei sprung for the other, holding her sword high above her head and bringing it down. The Lizalfos evaded and readied its axe. Ashei ducked, the axe flying past without harming her. She grinned, standing upright and stabbing the weapon forward like a spear.

Meanwhile, Shad had gathered himself and took his dagger firmly, circling around the injured Lizalfos.

"I'm not as weak as I look." Shad said with a scowl. "I'm tired of being useless. Its time I showed everyone what I'm capable of."

"You can't harm me, boy." The Lizalfos spat. "I'll sever your head."

Shad gave a short battle cry, jumping forward and jabbing with his dagger. The Lizalfos hissed as though he were amused, and grabbed the dagger with his good hand, on the flat, and wrenched it out of Shad's hands.

Shad gasped, and quickly ducked as the axe went wizzing overhead. He rolled aside as the Lizalfos jumped to his previous position and hissed in its low, groggy voice.

"I'm not finished with you yet..." It growled. "Come here, worm!"

Shad stood his ground as the Lizalfos approached again. This time, it swung its tail lower, but Shad jumped over it. However, he was prepared even ahead of time, and he timed his landing onto the tail. He stomped on the tail, barely missing the axe. Then, he grabbed its tail firmly.

It hissed, whipping its tail sideways, jerking Shad, but he dug his heels into the ground and managed to steady the tail, then he pulled the tail as hard as he could and wedged the axe in-between two rocks in the side of a small cliff.

The Lizalfos screeched, finding it impossible to free its tail. It dropped the dagger, then grabbed its tail, trying to pull it out. Shad rolled forward, grabbed the dagger, then went strait for the creature's neck.

As his dagger made contact with the Lizalfos's neck, he knew it would kill the creature. The dagger slid through the juglar vain perfectly, but he wasn't prepared to be sprayed with the dark purple blood, as the creature was taller and towering over him.

Shad dropped to the ground in a daze, having killed his first large creature, but he disliked the outcome with great intensity. Now, he was covered with the creature's hot blood, but was too traumetized from killing the creature to dwell upon it.

"Shad!" Ashei called. "You killed it?!" Her voice was filled with surprize. "I tied up the other one. I'm sure we can interrogate it and find out where its nests are."

Shad didn't reply.

"Shad?"

"I killed it..." He moaned. "An intelligent creature... I'm... a murderer..." "Those things aren't intelligent. Lizalfos aren't even supposed to be smart."

"But this one... it was... and... I killed it... I..." He stammered. "I didn't mean to... to kill it... I just..."

"Shad, get a grip! I'm just surprized you actually killed such a strong monster!"

Shad hung his head in defeat, even though he had won. "You don't understand... I killed that thing... it must have a home... a family..."

"Family is nothing." The other Lizalfos said. "We are tools. You shouldn't mourn for our lives, weak human boy. We merely are bred to conquer. Our queens will some day rule this land."

Ashei turned to the creature. "And where exactly are your queens?"

"Why should I give away our positions?"

"Speak or you'll end up like him!"

"My life is nothing. I am a tool."

Shad turned to the creature, anger burning in his eyes. "You aren't just tools! You are living creatures! You should see yourselves as higher value than an object!"

"We are objects. We are bred for war. Nothing more."

"Why do you fight?" Shad asked more calmly.

"We fight because we are told to."

"And why do you fight just because of an order? Do you not fight for your land?"

"We have no land to fight for anymore. We have come to Hyrule to expand. Our old land was destroyed by the Twili. Our race has changed from peaceful to bloodlust. I don't know why."

"You don't fight for your world? Your family? You don't fight for anything at all?"

"No." The Lizalfos said firmly.

"And why is that?" 

"Because..."

The question stumped the Lizalfos. It grumbled, then said, "because we have nothing else to live for. We are bred to fight."

"Well, I'll tell you how I see it." Shad said, walking over to the captive Lizalfos. "I see fighting as a way to save those you love... the people, the cities, the land... I see fighting as a way of ridding evil from the world. And creatures like you are what we see as evil. What do you see us as?"

"Inhabitance. We see no good or evil. We only live and die."

"Well, we are only trying to protect our lands from the likes of you." Ashei spoke up. "Now, if you don't tell us where your queen is, we will kill you."

The Lizalfos sighed. "Your speaking to me has opened my eyes... now I see the wrongs in our doings... I do not know where the other tribes' queens are. I am from the Mountain tribe. We rest near Kakariko Village on Death Mountain. Kill us if you must... that is what life is about."

"No, life is not about that." Shad said. "Life isn't living and dying. It is so much more."

"And what is that?"

"You can find out for yourself some day. I want you to give up fighting." Shad told it. "I'll release you."

"What are you doing?!" Ashei squeaked, but Shad had ignored her as he cut the creature's bonds. It scattered away.

"You said you would kill it if it didn't tell us where his queen was. He told us. So I let him go."

--

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Leader

CHAPTER FOUR

Rusl collapsed, breathing hard.

Epona whinnied, stomping her hooves into the ground as she tried to ward off the surrounding Lizalfos.

Rusl did not ever imagine them to be so big, so strong. They used to be simple warriors, easy to kill. But now, it seems they have grown stronger- much stronger.

"We'll eat the horse, but capture the man!" A Lizalfos hissed.

"Touch her and die!" Rusl gripped his sword, trying to regain his footing, but the Lizalfos near him kicked him back down to the ground.

"Stay put." 

Rusl let out a cry, rolling aside even as the creature's foot was pressed to his chest. He regained his footing, and jumped onto Epona's saddle. He took the reigns and pushed her into full speed, but even with her amazing acceleration, the Lizalfos were still right behind. Their speed, despite their bulk, was tremendous for such a creature on foot.

Rusl remembered how it happened- it was only a minute ago when he was riding Epona, and she bucked, sending Rusl flying off of her. She did this because she saw the band of four creatures, who overpowered Rusl.

"Run, Epona! Run to Hyrule Castle!" He ushered her forward. Epona galloped faster, and the Lizalfos were falling behind.

Rusl breathed a sigh of relief. The castle was coming in clearer, Rusl could see its towers rise up on the horison.

Epona continued to dash to the castle, and soon, the Lizalfos had fallen completely behind.

When they had reached the city gates, Rusl led Epona to the tavern, and tied her to a stake which was outside of the building. He then rushed inside.

He saw Telma, Shad, and Ashei inside

"The Lizalfos!" He shouted as he burst into the room. "They're-"

"We know." Ashei mumbled. "They're mutants. They've become so much stronger."

"Have you scouted the land for clues?" Rusl asked. "I have borrowed Epona from Link."

"We've bought a horse, as well." Shad said. "Yesterday we found some stables for him, and some supplies. His name is Zephyr."

"Have you ever ridden a horse, Shad?" Rusl said as he walked to the table his friends were sitting at, and pulled up a seat.

"No," Shad said. "But Ashei has. I'm sure she can teach me."

"Then he should have Epona. She's a great horse, even for those who've never ridden." Rusl said. "What do you think, Ashei?"

"I think she'd be too fast for Shad," Ashei replied with a chuckle.

"Hey, now..." Shad began. "I've been shot through a cannon. I'm sure a horse can't be too bad." 

"Well, we better think fast," Telma said from nearby. "If those Lizalfos truly are a threat now, then we need to beat them sooner then later."

"We know where one of their bases are." Shad said. "Earlier I interrogated a Lizalfos grunt. He told us where his clan was, but he said he had no knowledge of the others. He's from a place near Kakariko Village, in Death Mountain."

"Renado's in danger!" Telma choked. "Shad, how about you, Rusl, and Ashei go over there and see if he's alright?"

"Yes, and while we're there, we can scout around and see the location of the Lizalfos." Rusl replied. "We need to do this before we bring an army, otherwise the Lizalfos may become very suspicious. Right now, secrecy is our best option."

"Right," Shad replied. "Well, Telma, we will set off to Kakariko Village, and make sure that Renado is safe, and we will see if we can find the Lizalfos' first nest." He stood up as he spoke, his chair scooting across the wooden floor.

"You're getting good at this leadership thing, Shad," Ashei commented with a grin. 

"Leadership?"

"Well, yes. Already you're starting to take command. Normally I would be jealous, and I myself would want to take command... but I think you can handle it."

"What? I..." Shad stammered, then remembered what the Oocca said. He was the next hero of the world. And he needed to be a leader.

"Well... alright..." Shad scratched the back of his head, his fingers running through his lightweight, orange hair. "That settled, I think we should be off. Rusl, which horse would you ride?"

"It matters not." Rusl replied. The three headed out the door.

(TO BE CONTINUED) 


	5. An Ally's Alchemy

CHAPTER FIVE

NOTES: This chapter has updated on December 4, 2007! I hope you weren't disappointed in this entry.

Ashei had taken the reigns from Zephyr, while Shad clung to her belt. Zephyr was slower then Epona, but fast enough to send cold sweat down Shad's neck. He felt as though he would fall off, but his heels were pressed firmly in Zephyr's side.

The two horses galloped across the Hyrulian plains, faster and faster, until they finally reached Kakariko village.

Ashei led Zephyr to the spirit oasis near Renado's house, and dismounted there. Shad got off next, shaking and nervous. The setting sun cast a shimmery glow in the bright, flowing water of the oasis.

He looked to his left, and saw that Rusl was already there, petting Epona. "Now, drink now, good girl." Rusl whispered to the horse, then turned to face the others.

"Well, what should we do first?"

"We'll tell Renado what we're doing here." Shad breathed in a quivering voice, rubbing the back of his neck. His muscles were tight, from having ridden for so long. "Maybe he knows where to find the Lizalfos's nest.

"Sounds like a plan." Ashei said, and knocked on Renado's door.

There was a light tap of shoes behind the door, then it opened.

"Shad?" Renado recongnized him first. "Rusl... hello. Who is this young woman?" "Its Ashei." She said.

"And what brings you back here?" Renado faced Shad, squinting. The setting sun sprayed beams of light across the mountains, which stung his eyes.

"There's... a problem in Hyrule, Renado." Shad said, giving a slight nod-like bow. "Can we come in?"

"Sure! Come on, make yourselves comfortable."

The three of them entered, and found a seat on a warm rug. Renado sat with them. "So, please explain. I feel this matter will concern me."

"It will, if you've seen anything." Shad said. "Okay... I'll try to explain." He said quietly. He thought for a moment on what he was going to say, then looked up. "The Lizalfos... have mutated. Someone or something has given them insane power. We need to capture the queen of each Lizalfos tribe and transport her to the City in the Sky. In doing so, the morale of all the other Lizalfos will break, and they will not pose a threat to us."

"How do you know this?" Renado asked, his hands pressed together and his chin resting upon them.

"I found the City in the Sky. And, I met the Oocca. They told me that the Lizalfos was their creation, and they got out of hand. They don't want us to kill all the Lizalfos, but preserve their queens. Apparently there's more then one tribe of Lizalfos, and we located one of them- in Death Mountain. We need to somehow subdue the queen, and bring her with us to the City in the Sky."

Renado snapped his fingers. "I think I know where this tribe is... and I have the means to get the queen."

He stood up, then went to a dresser. On the top of the dresser was a mortar and pestle, Shad assumed that he was some kind of alchemist. "Ah, here we are." Renado said, pulling two vials out of a drawer. "I have recently discovered these potions, in fact, just a few days ago have I perfected these methods. This potion here..." he held one up, "will place the drinker in a hypnotic state. You can order that person to follow you to the City in the Sky, if you so wish."

"Thank you." Shad said, then asked, "but how are we possibly going to get through their nest to this queen, in the heart of their own base? I know that we have to destroy the weed at the root, but must it be that hard to get there?"

"That's where this vial comes in." Renado showed them the other. "This vial blocks perception. It is a near concoction to invisibility, but I haven't perfected that yet. Drinking this, will render you practically invisible. Those looking at you, will not notice you are there, unless if you speak, or move too quickly. I only have six of these potions, however, so I'll need to make more, if there are more nests for you to discover."

"And how long do they last?" Ashei asked?

"Until they are somehow extracted from the body," Renado said with a slight chuckle, "and I'm sure all of you know one method."

He handed the three of them each a vial. He then gave Shad the mind-control potion. "Be extremely careful. I know where the nest is- they have taken up residence near the Goron mines. The Gorons might be able to tell you more. I'm sure the Lizalfos haven't killed them there."

"Thank you very much." Shad said as he pocketed the vial. "Wish us luck."


	6. Massacre of the Gorons

(I decided to move this into chapter 6.

I still love Twilight Princess and I am not abandoning this story until complete! Trust me. The only thing that'll hold me back is death. :P I'm glad people are enjoying this and I hope to get back on track! When I get 20 reviews I'll write more, and even if I don't, I'll probably add more. We're getting to the good part! Be aware that SOMEONE WILL BE CAPTURED in this chapter! (spoiler? sorry!)

As they exited the hut, they saw that the sun was setting behind Death Mountain. They went to the horses, and made sure they were secure. "We can't take the horses over the mountains," Rusl spoke in his low voice. "We'll have to climb by foot."

"It only makes me wonder," Shad mumbled, changing the subject as he followed Rusl to a large slope, where he was sure was the only safe way into the mountain, "if these potions will really work. How is Renado sure they'll work?"

"You worry too much!" Ashei chuckled. "We'll be fine. I trust Renado."

"Well, I do too, but what if something doesn't work, or the Lizalfos aren't effected? Obviously, he hasn't tested them on a Lizalfos."

"Well, this is our only chance of actually getting them. I'm sure if we didn't have the potions in the first place, we would still subdue their queen by brute force. So we can just try the potion, and if that doesn't work, we would do what we would've done had we not had them." Rusl explained. "We'll have to strike her down without killing her, and tie her up and drag her to the City in the Sky if we have to."

"I don't even know how big it'll be." Shad said. "And how are we going to fit it in a cannon?"

Suddenly, Junior poked his head out of Shad's pocket.

"Oh!" Shad exclaimed. "I completely forgot about him!"

Junior hovered into the air, then said, "I can teleport her to Mama!" He made a beelike humming noise with is wings as he flew around Shad in circles. "Just like this!"

"Now, don't get carried away! We don't want to teleport right now." Shad said hastily.

"Oh, okay." Junior hovered back into Shad's pocket, and peeked out so he could see where they were going. "Tell me when you get there!"

The three proceeded to climb up the slope. The rocks were jagged and rough, and the three had to take caution so they wouldn't trip and hurt themselves on the hard stones. Soon, they had almost reached solid ground, but Rusl stopped them.

"There's a tribe of monsters that live nearby." He whispered. "They like to shoot people from the high ground with their arrows. If we're quiet, we can make it by without bothering them or hurting ourselves."

He pointed to an opening in the mountainside which led to the smooth ground. "That's their hunting ground. If we trigger one of their traps, we might end up as their prey. If we get across, we're home free to the Gorons."

"How do you know this area so well?" Shad asked as he followed Rusl slowly to the opening in the stones.

"I've been here before," he said quietly. "A long time ago. I never forgot my mistake of wandering into this hunting ground, and I learned from it. Now if you follow me closely, we can make it across."

Shad and Ashei followed Rusl as he slowly stepped into the large area. He then began running, swiftly and quietly, to a nearby rock. Shad and Ashei hesitantly followed him. They knew that they were trusting their lives in Rusl's memory, and neither of them knew just how sharp he was.

Sheilded by the night sky, the three of them passed safely across, without triggering any traps laid by the hunters. They soon came to the borders of the Goron tribe village. As they approached, they heard a pained moan from nearby.

"Look!" Ashei pointed to a small nook created by a hole in the mountainside. A Goron lay refuged inside, on his stomach, so his hard, rocklike back faced up.

The three ran to the Goron's side.

"What happened here?" Rusl asked.

"Ahgh! A friendly voice at last..." The Goron wheezed, turning his head so he could see them. There was clotted blood on his forehead. "Our tribe was attacked... many of us were captured by them... the Lizalfos..." He coughed, then sat up slowly. "They are no longer the wimpy little lizards they used to be... our tribe was so puffed up with pride that we all thought we could kill them all, but they unleashed unimaginable power... We killed about twenty of their twenty-five warriors, but the remaining five attacked with such force... it was as if each time one of theirs was defeated, the remaining Lizalfos's power grew stronger..."

"So theres' only five warriors left in their colony?"

The Goron nodded. "The rest of us who escaped... are hiding in places such as these, scattered about Death Mountain..." he then choked and coughed, then laid back down, as if just sitting was too much for him.

"We can help you!" Shad said, then fumbled in his small backpack, trying to find something to give the Goron medical treatment, but the rock-man refused. "No... no, sir Hylian. Do not waste your supplies on me! I'll be fine..."

"What's your name?" Ashei asked.

"Gor Naaro." He said. "And you?"

"I'm Ashei, and thats Shad and Rusl." She pointed to the two respectively. "We want to know where the entrance of their nest is, Gor Naaro." She said.

"Just near our mines, in a tunnel. Why? You aren't actually planning to go in there, are you?!"

"We need to free the rest of your people and capture their queen." Shad explained. "We have the means to, as well! Renado gave us these potions."

"Renado gave you his potions?" Gor Naaro chuckled. "We've been wanting to test his prized potions for ages, but he's always told us that he was saving them for when the time came... you are lucky to try out his famous alchemy."

"Famous?"

"Well, famous around here, anyway. They say he uses special herbs found in only the deepest places of the world mixed with the waters of the spirit oasis. You can't get much better then that!"

"Thank you, Gor Naaro." Rusl said. "We'll come back soon, trust us."

"Good luck! And have faith in those potions!" Gor Naaro called as the three began to walk reluctantly away from their ally. The hard hearts of the Gorons were impossible to shake once they made a decision- and they were afraid that Gor Naaro's refusal of Shad's medical gear would be his decision of death.

Rusl proceeded to lead the way through the rocks and to the Goron tribe headquarters, where the entrance to the mines were. When they reached their tribe center, they gasped at a greusome sight before them. There were three Gorons on the floor, sliced into pieces, some missing body parts, others were completely mutilated.

Ashei saw Shad shut his eyes and turn away out of both nausea and mourning. The Gorons were allies of the Hylains and were always ready to lend a helping hand. Rusl and Ashei continued to stare, nearly petrified.

"These Gorons..." Ashei clenched her teeth in anger. "We must avenge them! I will kill every last one of those hybrid Lizalfos!"

Rusl turned and laid a supportive hand on Ashei's shoulder. "Don't worry. We will avenge the Gorons, but don't get carried away." He then turned to Shad, who was still facing the entrance of the room, motionless and speechless.

"Shad?"

"I... I can't handle this, Rusl... what am I doing here, anyway!? Why don't you just take Junior and finish this yourself?"

"We need you, Shad. You're the brains of this." Ashei growled, trying to calm herself down.

"Junior, go with Rusl." Shad told the little Oocca.

Junior looked up at Shad with is big eyes, then said, "no! You're my friend!"

"Junior, I don't want to go in that cave." Shad told him. "Please go with them and help them."

"I only listen to you! You're the Journal Man!"

"What?"

"Your Journal, kid!" Junior squeaked. "You're the one who writes the journal! Studies us! I like you, kid! I only trust you!"

"But... what does my passion have to do with anything?!" Shad asked. "You trusted Link!"

"You and Link are both chosen by the spirits of this world! You are both chosen by destiny! You both have a task and talent so use it, kid!"

Shad closed his eyes and sighed, then turned around and braced himself. He opened his eyes, allowing himself to look at the gore in the room, then said with determination, "He's right. If he won't listen to anyone but me then I have to go with you. You're stuck." Shad smiled sheepishly.

"Great." Rusl patted his back, then pointed to a large opening in the wall, that looked as though it had been blasted from the inside. Steam rose from the opening, as if it was very hot inside. "That's where we're headed. Let's drink the potions now."

As they began to dig for their potions in their pokcets, something appeared at the entrance of the cave. The three of them quickly drew their weapons, preparing for battle, but the shady figure raised its hands and cried, "stay your weapons!"

The voice sounded Lizalfos, but Shad recognized it. "You're... you're the Lizalfos I showed mercy to!" He said.

"That I am, Shad of the Hylians. I am not your enemy." The Lizalfos bowed. "I had a thought that you would come here. I told no one of your coming. In fact, I would like to guide you through the maze of my home."

Ashei continued to hold her weapon tightly. "We don't trust you! Obviously you had something to do with the murder of these Gorons!"

"No!" he said. "I hid in the shadows while my companions did the slaying. I truly want to help your friend Shad."

"And you won't help me?" Ashei questioned.

"I help you by helping your ally," the Lizalfos sneered. "You deserve no direct assistance from me."

Ashei rolled her eyes and sheathed her sword. "Fine then."

"Well, so we can easily identify you, I'm going to call you Green." Shad said to the Lizalfos, "because you have a spot of green on your forehead. I haven't seen that on any Lizalfos I've met."

Green smiled. "Green it is."

"Now, then, we're going to disappear here in a second, but know that we're still following you." Shad showed Green his potion. "This vial will cause us to disappear, but you need to know that we're still following you."

"Strange magic?" Green asked.

"No, its science." Shad grinned.

They each took their vial of potion and drank every last drop. It had a strange flavor, neither tasty nor pleasant, and they found no need to complain about its flavor. Shad looked up at Rusl, and blinked. It was as if his mind told him that Rusl wasn't there, yet his eyes told him that he was. Shad's brain concluded that Rusl was in fact, not there. Yet, Shad's eyes told him that he was there.

"Um... this is weird... yeah?" Ashei said hesitantly, looking at her own hand. "You guys still there?"

"Yup..." Rusl said. "I feel funny, like... floating or something... I can't describe it."

"Well, since we're all not here now, let's go into that tunnel."

(TO BE CONTINUED at 20 REVIEWS)


	7. The First Nest: Under the Moutnain

CHAPTER 7

(Okay, I was wrong, someone gets captured in THIS chapter.

As you can see I got in the mood and decided to write more despite not having 20 reviews yet. 20 reviews, people! That'll bring the next chapter around. You see the reason why I do this is because what's the point in continuing a story when no one wants to read it:/ Well, here we go.) 

The four stared into the dark abyss before them. The tunnel was wide and tall, stones were scattered about the floor around them, as if the rocks had shattered from an impact within.

Green gazed upon the group with his silver eyes. His scales looked glossy and pale, his entire body was black save for a large spot of green between his two bright eyes. A large axe grew out of his tail, it was sharpened and keen. Green turned to the tunnel and lifted his head to sniff the air, then breathed, "follow."

He dived into the entryway, and began his journey. Shad was the first to follow him, though Ashei and Rusl were skeptical of Green. They followed slowly, careful not to make a sound as they walked on the hard rock floors. The tunnel felt unnaturally warm, being so close to fire, and Shad assumed it was chosen for the Lizalfos's nest because of their cold blooded skin- they couldn't generate body heat so they had to stay somewhere warm.

The tunnel was dark, and hard to see in, so the three had to stay uncomfortably close to Green. The large creature moved his head left and right, his pupil dialating and shrinking, as if to observe things better in certain areas, yet there was no source of light anywhere. This confused Shad. 

Green turned sharply to the left, and the three followed him. They could see a hazy red light ahead- and Shad knew it was a magma chamber.

Soon, the tunnel became wider, so the three could stop walking single file. Ashei and Rusl, Shad decided, were at his sides, but he wasn't completely sure. As they walked, he suddenly heard something bark an order from behind him. He froze.

He felt cold breath on his back.

"You there!"

Green turned around. "Yes, Captain?"

Shad looked over his shoulder but was too afraid to move. He could see right next to him, a large winged Lizalfos, with light armor and a toothy snarl.

"Where do you think you're going? The Queen must not be disturbed during her laying time! If those eggs break we lose countless soldiers!"

Green gritted his teeth. "Sorry, Captain."

"You get back here and go back to your post! Those Gorons could attack again at any minute!"

Green walked slowly, as if he was afraid to hit one of his 'invisible' companions. The three slowly seperated, creating a walkway for Green. Fear clenched Shad's heart as he realized what had happened- they had lost their guide!

Green and the Captain disappeared into the tunnels.

"What do we do now?" Shad whispered to himself.

"I don't know," Rusl responded slowly. "I guess we have to find the Queen on our own. It can't be far. We'll try to stick together."

They stopped talking as the sound of two other Lizalfos walking near them was evident. Shad froze. They looked weak, much smaller then the average Lizalfos Hyrule used to know. They were carrying two eggs, probably taking them to some sort of nursury. One of them came dangerously close to Shad, and he stopped breathing. It walked by without noticing him.

"Where were they coming from?" He asked when he was sure they had left.

"This way!" Ashei breathed harshly. "If you guys can hear me, that is. Follow me!"

They began walking quickly towards the red glowing light. Soon, they had entered a gigantic chamber. On the floor was a large pit of lava. To their left was an entryway, and to their right was another tunnel. 

Ashei turned to the left, and her companions followed reluctantly. The tunnel was very narrow, which frightened Shad- what if a Lizalfos was coming their way? They would have no way of getting out of his way.

Their luck held as they walked, and soon, they had broken out of the tunnel, and entered another large chamber. In the middle of the room, was the Queen.

Their breath escaped them.

She was huge, about the size of an elephant. Her belly was bloated. She lay on her side, her eyes closed. Shad wondered if she was sentient, but as he was thinking about how Junior was going to transport her, he noticed two other beings in the room.

Two winged Lizalfos, three times the size of a man, stood guarding her with keen eyes and long swords. They turned and looked at the entryway, and Shad broke into a sweat. He thought they were looking at him, but when he strained his ears, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He and his companions quickly scurried away from the entrance, just in time. Something approached- a creature that looked like both a Lizalfos and a dog, entered the room on four legs. 

"Skarl is here." One of the large winged Lizalfos said.

The Queen's eyes snapped open. They blazed with three colors- emerald, red, and bronze. She snorted a breath of smoke, then leaned her gargantuan body upwards.

"I have news," the dog-Lizalfos growled, "to the Queen."

"We are ready to translate." Replied a winged Lizalfos.

"In the Hatcing Quarters... we have made another discovery, my Queen." As he spoke, the two Lizalfos near the queen clicked and groaned, speaking a strange foreign language.

"We have found out about the merging process. As you may know, we have been currently using a method known as Transfusion to make your children stronger. By taking the blood of a Hylian, and adding it to one of your Younglings, he will become larger, stornger, and smarter, with the ability to speak Hylian tongue."

Shad's eyes grew wide behind his glasses. He tried to stifle a gasp of shock. THIS was how the Lizalfos were mutating!? They were extracting the blood from Hylians and merging it with a Lizalfos!?

"We have found that we can actually do the opposite... by taking our blood and entering it into a Hylian, or other sentient life. This will make their kind obey our every command as a Hiveling."

The Queen suddenly bellowed, as if she was laughing. She clicked her tongue, and her guard responded.

"She is happy to hear this. She wants you to start doing this instead of killing our prisoners."

The dog-Lizalfos bowed. "Let me know when you get more eggs! Our researches will be excited to test our new methods... and..."

Suddenly, he turned his head and looked strait at Shad. He sniffed, a look of confusion in his burning eyes. He took a step forth, still sniffing.

Shad clenched his teeth and took a step backwards.

The dog-Lizalfos howled, a horrifying sound that echoed through the chamber. He then ran forward and jumped into the air, headed strait for Shad and his companions. The creature struck Ashei, and her camouflage failed.

"INTRUDER!"

"Ashei!" Shad wrenched his dagger from his belt, and Rusl did the same with his sword. Both of their camouflages failed.

Junior dived out of Shad's pocket with surprising speed.

"Get the Queen, Junior!!!" Shad screamed, then turned and faced the two guards that had appeared near them with tremendous speed. The Queen roared, the chamber shaking.

Shad ran to Ashei and helped her ward off the dog-Lizalfos. It growled, frothing at the mouth like an insane animal. Rusl leapt into action, fighting off one of the winged creatures with his longsword.

Soon, the chamber had filled with the five warrior Lizalfos that the Gorons did not succeed in defeating- and Green.

"There are too many of them!"

Junior hovered back to Shad, then said, "I can't do it! I can't teleport the Queen! She'll eat me!"

Shad then remembered the other potion that Renado gave him.

"We have to make her eat the sleep potion, but Junior's too light to carry it!" He yelled, then was struck to the ground while he was distracted.

"I'll do it!" Ashei yelled, running over to Shad. "Give me the potion! I'm the fastest here!"

Shad didn't find time to argue, and he threw her the vial of precious liquid. Ashei then broke off in a dead run towards the Queen, with grim determination.

Everyone rushed after her, trying to bring her down. Shad and Rusl followed, trying to take down as many as they could before they reached her.

Ashei then jumped into the air and took a small dagger from her belt. She dug it into the flesh of the Queen, and began climbing the roaring, bucking beast. All of the Lizalfos were attacking her with insane force. Her armor began to tear, Shad noticed, and blood poured from open wounds.

"ASHEI!" He screamed, then ran into the midst of combat with Rusl. His fear was now replaced with sheer anger, sheer will to save his friend. He dived into action, thrusting his dagger every which way.

He looked up and saw that Ashey was now on the Queen's head. She took the cork of the potion with her teeth, then threw the vial into the queen's mouth like a grenade. Suddenly, the Queen lowered her head, and released a deep exhale that sounded like a hush. She was asleep.

Everyone was now focused on Junior, who who was hovering quickly around the Queen. The young creature knew that this was the moment that his friends were counting on him with- and he would not fail.

"He's got the Queen! We have to get out of here!" Rusl yelled, then was struck across the cheek by one of the creatures. A bleeding gash appeared on his face.

"Ashei!" Shad saw that his friend had fallen to the ground. Nothing else mattered to him now- all he could hear was his heartbeat.

Ashei lifted her head, but she was then blotted out by the mass of Lizalfos who were surrounding her. Instead of killing her, they tied her in chains.

"NO!" Shad screamed, trying to run to her, but he felt something cold and scaly grab his arm, and he felt himself being dragged away.

The Queen had disappeared, but Ashei remained.

"LET ME GO!" Shad didn't know who was dragging him, but he was struggling to break free. His captor tightened his grip. He saw Rusl running next to him, fear and anger in his eyes.

"We need to go back!" Shad yelled. He noticed that it was Green who was dragging him away. "Let go of me, Green!"

"No, Shad!" Rusl spoke for the Lizalfos. "You'll die!" Shad too his dagger and put a small, shallow gash in Green's hand, causing him to yelp and let go of him. Shad broke off in a run back to the chamber.

"You idiot! Get back here!" Rusl screamed. Green rolled his eyes and charged after him.

The hostile Lizalfos surrounded him like buzzards to a corpse. Rusl had never seen the boy fight with such fury and anger. He actually killed two of them before he was struck down by a blow to his chest, as Rusl feared. Green charged into the room, and took the fallen Hylian into his arms. The Lizalfos followed in hot pursuit as Green rushed away, with Rusl following close behind. Shad was unconscious, a gaping injury cut into his chest. Rusl wasn't sure how bad it was, for the blood which now stained the poor boy's clothes was too deep to see while they ran.

Green and Rusl were faster then the group of Lizalfos following, due to the corridors being limited to single file, and the group of Lizalfos were stuck in the tunnel. 

When they burst outside, breathing hard, they found Gor Naaro standing at the entryway with two other Gorons. Both were still injured, but Rusl was glad to see them on their feet. The dead Gorons who were previously in the room were gone, probably buried by the remaining Gorons.

"Don't worry. Green here is a friend." Rusl pointed to Green, who was still carrying poor Shad.

The three Gorons nodded in afirmation and began rolling boulders over the entrance to block it off. "It won't hold them back for long." Said a Goron. "Gor Naaro will help you get back down to the city."

He then noticed Shad injured, and Ashei gone. "What happened!? Where is your companion?"

"She was captured." Rusl said, devestated. "We cannot rescue her now. We have to get Shad to Renado."

The boulders which the Gorons were barricading suddenly shifted, a loud bang echoing through the chamber.

"They're trying to break through! We'll hold them back as long as we can!"

"What about... Ashei..." Shad coughed. Green looked down at him, and saw that his eyes were open again, his face contorted in a grimace of pain.

"I will find her. You must find medical assistance." Green told him. "I realize now how much that woman means to you. You love her, don't you? Love is something we Lizalfos do not know. Our Queen, our only female, has just one mate. And now, you have brought her away. Where is she now?"

"Junior brought her back to your homeworld, where you can rebuild a peaceful life there." Rusl explained. "I appreciate what you've done, Green. Do you really think you can free Ashei from your remaining tribe?"

"Anyone born of the Queen will soon lose their sense of order. They will become mere animals... including me. Your friend, I do not know. I believe they will soon use their new method of controlling with her, and turn her into one of us, but without our Queen, they will not know what to do. She may yet have a chance. Then again..." Green hesitated. "There is one of us who knows where another nest is. He may actually take her there before he loses his sense of control.""Wait a minute. This means you will lose your intelligence? But you no longer follow your queen, Green! And you say that if they cause Ashei to join this other nest, she will become one of them!? We have to stop them!"

"There are too few of us now," Green said, "We must help your friend and find reinforcements." 


	8. Waiting

A/N: Ah finally, I've found time and motivation to continue this. In case you haven't found it already, 'Back of the Bar', by the author tikitikirevenge is finally done and you will do yourself a favor by going and checking it out and dropping him a review. Its simply amazing.

Anyway I've forgotten how some of this goes so I've had to re-read my own story, lol. If you notice anything off, let me know and I'll correct it.

Well, sorry for the short chapter, in comparison to the others. But I'm gonna have to update my Luigi's Dragons story too, so, I have to manage my updates wisely.

**READ THIS!**

I hate 's document formatting thing. It gets rid of the little stars ( the 8 key) I use for scene seperating and I just realised that throughout the entire story it jumps from scene to scene. I blame FF. So, sorry if anyone's cornfused. Er, confused.

And now it also seems it has removed the dashes as seperators as well... ho hum.

ooooooooooo

Rusl was left carrying Shad, as Green took off to spy on his own tribe before he lost his intelligence. He said that when he discovered where they were headed, he would try to return and warn them, but for him to fight them would be a suicide mission.

Rusl had no trouble carrying Shad- the nineteen-year-old was thin and frail. Yet even still, it was emotionally burdensome. With every breath, the young man in his arms wheezed, struggling to breathe. Holding him in his helplessness caused Rusl to feel very responsible for him, as a father would his own child.

_How would his own father feel if he knew this has happened to him...?_ Rusl thought as he approached a deep slope.

_I just have to climb down here... and then I'm home free to Renado..._

With Shad in his arms, he needed to take exquisite caution while journeying down the side of the mountain. He did not want to trip, and accidentally make Shad's condition worse. With care and close observation, he made his slow descent, trying his hardest to ignore the constant pleas for help that Shad was giving him, without words. His wheezing was the only sign that he was still alive, however, and it was enough motivation to keep Rusl going steadily.

When he finally reached the small hut in the center of the village, Rusl felt as though he was a man stumbling into heaven. He ran to the doorway and beat on it wildly with a free hand. Sooner than he had expected, Renado threw open the door, and without a word, took Shad from Rusl.

"Is that yours?" He asked quickly, motioning to Rusl.

He looked down, observing his clothes and armor, which was ensanguined. "No. Its not."

Renado had brought the boy to a separate room, and Rusl followed worriedly.

The room was dark, lit by lone candles. There was a small bed, just big enough for Shad. Renado had already displayed a collection of different herbs and medicines about the floor, and was picking up a few and working with them, perhaps making some sort of potion with his skill in alchemy.

"Please tell me what happened, Rusl..."

Rusl lowered his head. "We... succeeded in our mission, but... we lost Ashei... Green went to go find her, and..."

"Green?"

"Oh... it was one of our allies among the enemies... it was a Lizalfos that Shad was merciful to in the past, and he came to our aid."

"Intresting... please continue... how was Ashei lost? How did Shad receive the injury?"

"Ashei was overcome by them and taken prisoner. Green said that her captor might try and take her to another nest. He said that without their queen, the Lizalfos lose their sense of order and become animals. We... we also discovered that the Lizalfos try and deform humans and turn them into their kind... and I fear that this is what they plan to do with Ashei..."

Rusl shook his head, then spoke, "I... do not know how Shad received his injury. I only saw him fall."

Rusl heard Renado mutter a quiet "oh, no..." under his breath. "I... did not believe it would come to this. I had believed stealth would overcome these creatures... but perhaps we must find another strategy..."

Renado slipped off Shad's jacket and shirt, and took a nearby rag. Sopping up the blood with it, he then quickly applied the liquid remedy to the wound. After bandaging them, Renado pulled a blanket over the victim and stood up.

"How is he?" Rusl was almost afraid to ask.

"He'll live." Renado replied, "but it may be at least two days before you can set out again. What is your plan?"

"We can't leave Ashei behind to those beasts. If Green returns, he will return with information concerning where the next Lizalfos nest is, if it is truly where they are trying to bring Ashei. We will need to think of a plan and go there... but I think the man with the strategies is Shad..."

Both Rusl and Renado looked down at him. His wheezing had ceased, and Rusl wondered if it was a good sign.

"He's breathing, right?"

"Yes. His pain should have left him by now..." Renado replied in a concerned tone, "but I'm debating when he will wake up... this has been a most tragic involvement and he may want to sleep through it in his subconscious..."

"Can't you wake him up?"

"He is deeply unconscious. I do not think it is possible."

Rusl and Renado fell silent.

Breaking it soon thereafter, Rusl spoke, "I'm going to go wash off in the spirit oasis." He turned and walked away.

oooooooooooooooo

He opened his eyes.

Shad blinked, trying to clear his blurred vision, and when it did not, he was slightly afraid. _Has being in that battle impaired my vision? _Yet when he realized it was because his glasses were elsewhere, he sighed and slowly attempted to sit up. However, there was a sudden, intense pain in his abdomen which forced him back down.

As he laid upon the uncomfortable, lumpy mattress, he glanced about the room despite his blurred vision, attempting to make out where he was.

Renado's... house...? Suddenly, he was wide awake.

"Ashei! Ashei! Where's Ashei!?" He demanded aloud, sitting up abrubtly. Quickly, yet shakily, he took to his feet and slapped a hand to the wall, dizzy, then stumbled to the door. He quickly yanked it open, only to run into Rusl, who had heard him.

"R... Rusl..." Shad said, and began to teeter forward.

Rusl grabbed him. "Easy, easy... Are you alright?"

"What happened... where's Ashei...?" Shad asked.

Rusl carried him back to the bed, then said, "right now I want to know about you, Shad. Do you feel alright?"

"Just a little dizzy..." he replied, then realized he wasn't wearing a shirt, and glanced around the room. "Ru... Rusl... what happened...?"

"You don't remember? Ashei was captured by the Lizalfos and you were hurt defending her. Try to take things slow..."

"Slow?! Slow!? Ashei's captured!" He exclaimed, and Rusl did not recall ever seeing him so intense before, especially in his condition.

"We're waiting for Green to get back, Shad, just... stay down. You're hurt."

Shad began to calm down, and he placed a hand to his temple and sighed. "I.. can't take much more of this..." he murmured. "How bad can my life get?"

Rusl, now feeling compassion for him, sat down next to him in silence.

Wind howled through a small window in the room, a window which let in a smoky light from the setting sun.

"Do you love her?" Rusl spoke after the silence

Shad blushed. "I, well... I..." he stammered idly. "I... don't know... I just... don't want her to get hurt, is all... I, uh, I wouldn't... I wouldn't call it _love_..."

Rusl wasn't sure what to think. Perhaps Shad didn't love her, but cared about his companion. Perhaps he did. Either way, Rusl knew that both of them wanted her safe, and both of them felt helpless being unable to do anything.

They had to rely on Green to return with information. If he didn't, then they would have to continue on their own.


	9. Plans

ooc: Oh. I forgot to mention this long ago but I think I'll do it now. I know it is canon that Shad's DAD is dead, not his MOM, but I switched it around. Its a fanfiction, anyway. Don't let it bug you too much.

Oh, and, yay update! After so long! I'll start writng more in my other fics, I've got some blocks of spare time.

Ic:

Green knocked and waited patiently for the door to open.

Crickets sang in nearby tufts of dry grass near the Spirit Oasis, and the howl of a lone wolf echoed in the distant mountains. And soon, the next sound was the door creaking open and revealing a tired looking, long-faced man with long robes and sleeves.

"Green, I presume." Renado rubbed his eyes.

The lizalfos nodded his scaly head. "Must know... what is the fate of Shad and Rusl?

"They are fine. Shad has not been able to sleep, he has been so worried. Please, hurry inside. We have no time to waste."

Green stepped inside the strong hut, and found Shad sitting next to a fireplace. When he heard the Lizalfos enter, he perked and quickly stood up to face him, and he began speaking, "Green! Oh, I thought you would never come..."

"Green brings many news and many burdens to share with his friends." The tall creature bowed his head. "May he begin?"

"Of course!" Shad said, almost impatiently. Rusl had appeared from a bedroom door, his arms crossed, ready to listen, for he had nothing to say. He leaned against a post and his intense eyes were focused on the beast.

"First. Green has discovered something about the race of Lizalfos themselves. The thing that keeps them attached to their queen is nothing of physical or mental manner. It is something that is obtained by spirit, something no one can steal from you. Your name. We have never been named by hatching, therefore, we have none. When a name was given to Green, he achieved something special, something that broke the Queen's grasp. This also means, your Ashei will be safe if she learns her name again."

Shad at first felt encouraged, but as he further evaluated Green's news in his mind, he blinked and gasped, "If... she learns her name **again**!? Are you saying she... she's... one of them!?" His youthful voice cracked.

"Do not fear. There is always a way, an open door. We shall save her and continue our mission."

"But we need that Ooccaa boy." Rusl gave his addendum. "Last we saw of him, he vanished to the heavens."

Shad had nothing to say- he was overwhelmed by the news and needed time to take it in. He closed his eyes and his head dropped. After a few moments of silence, he looked up and said, "where is the nest, Green?"

"Near Zora's Domain, in the mountain."

"The snowy mountain?"

"No. It is another side of the mountain not discovered by the Zoras until recently."

"How are the Zoras?" Renado asked.

"They have been attacked and driven further through the waters. Most of their abode is abandoned."

"This is... terrible..." Shad moaned. The words had been running through his mind and they finally escaped in a morbid tone. "Junior is gone... Ashei is gone... the Zoras and Gorons are both being massacred..."

"It is our job to protect these people, Shad. And if we won't do it, the world will die. You heard what they said. You are the Chosen Hero! As Link was in his time you must step up in yours and follow your path! And I will follow you."

"As will Green." Said the creature. "Green owes you his life and the lives of his children and grandchildren, however long you last we shall last for you."

"You don't need to do this..." Shad shook his head.

"But we do. For the sake of Hyrule, we will follow you until death."

"And I'll follow you too, kid!"

The tiny voice came buzzing from an open window, and in zoomed little Junior, returned safely from his task.

"Junior!" Rusl announced, his face lit up. Shad looked at him solemnly, surprised, but with no emotion.

"Hey!" The little creature spoke, buzzing in front of Shad. "I took the Queen away! My people are helping her rebuild in her own land. They told me to tell you, um, an ear of pieces is inateable!"

"You mean, an era of peace... is inevitable?" Shad interpreted hesitantly. "Well... that is certainly good news."

"Yeah that's it!" Replied the noisy creature quickly. "Hey! I'm ready! Can we go?!"

"The night is young. Green wants sleep first."

"Yes. We will go in the morning." Shad said. He did not have much new determination, but it was there, somewhere hidden beneath his cowardice. Despite how much he was needed to be a hero, he did not feel like one.

Not yet.


End file.
